Dutch monk’s death:

by Suresh Perera

Police sleuths probing the mysterious death of the Dutch monk are expected to use underwater cameras in an attempt to trace the stone that’s believed to be at the bottom of the Ratgama lagoon after it had dislodged from one of the bhikku’s legs, a top police official said.

Two stones had been tied to the legs of Ven. Olande Jinawansa thera but only one was found intact at the time his body was found floating in the lagoon.

“We will be looking for a stone of similar size and weight as it would help ongoing investigations”, says Senior DIG Rohan Silva in charge of the Southern province.

He said the police have already recorded statements from more than 100 persons, including monks residing at the Dodanduwa Polgasduwa forest monastery, boatmen, fishermen and those who had offered alms to the monk when he went on pindapatha.

Asked whether there were any indications to suggest that the 59-year-old foreign monk had been killed and his body dumped in the lagoon, he replied, “there has been no evidence so far that he was killed, but we are investigating with an open mind to establish the circumstances of his death”.

Senior DIG Silva said the Government Analyst’s report, which was expected next week, will shed more light on the Dutch monk’s death and help police investigators to figure out what transpired.

On whether any arrests have been made so far, he said, “no, but the police are pursuing some important leads”.

The monastery where the Dutch monk meditated plus an adjoining island were searched by the police and the STF earlier but nothing suspicious was found.

Ven. Olande Jinawansa thera came to Sri Lanka in 2008 from northern Thailand.