Colombo Magistrate Rajidra Jayasooriya today granted permission for the family of the late businessman Dinesh Schaffter to bury his remains in their family burial grounds at Jawetta, Colombo 5.
The decision was made during the Magisterial inquiry, where Counsel Anuja Premaratna PC and Counsel Mohan Balendran, representing Mr. Schaffter's family, filed affidavits requesting permission to cremate the remains.
However, as the report from the special panel of doctors conducting the post mortem inquiry was not yet complete, the Magistrate ordered the body to be buried instead of cremated.
The family agreed to this arrangement and will proceed with the burial at their family burial grounds. The CID, which conducted the investigations, did not object to the decision, and further inquiry has been scheduled for October 31.
Previously, Magistrate Jayasuriya had instructed the CID to release the remains to Mr. Schaffter's family. Additionally, he had appointed a committee, led by Prof. Asela Mendis, to conduct a post mortem inquiry and submit a report on Mr. Schaffter's death. The exhumation of Mr. Schaffter's remains took place on May 25, 2023, under the supervision of the Colombo Magistrate's Court.
