Foul play ruled out in Shamsudeen death

Mohammed Rasooldeen in Riyadh

Police ruled out foul play in its investigations in to the death of Mohammed Imtisam Shamsudeen, 28, Assistant Manager of Home Center in Abha, whose partially charred body was found in his apartment in the southern city of Abha on May 10.

Shamsudeen, a Sri Lankan national had been working for Al-Bandar International House for Trading Company for the past four years and on hearing about his sudden death his relatives in Sri Lanka said they suspected foul play.

Reporting Shamsudeen's death to his relatives, Vittal Prabhu, Chief Operating Officer of Al-Bandar Company, said, Shamsudeen was found dead in his accommodation under mysterious circumstances.

Jeddah-based Sri Lankan Consul General Abdul Lateef Mohamed Lafeer told Daily News from Abha that he had met Colonel Abdullah Sabith Al Qahtani, who personally led the investigation team to determine the cause of Shamsudeen's death.

According to the Consul General, the Police had ruled out foul play and had said that the death was due to a fire that broke out in Shamsudeen's apartment.

The fire was caused by a short circuit caused due to Shamsudeen's failure to switch off the iron after pressing his clothes in his apartment.

The door was locked from inside which indicated that the deceased was inside the room at the time of the incident.

The police had also discovered pieces of glass outside the apartment windows which revealed that the deceased had desperately tried to escape from the flames.

Lafeer , who had seen the deceased in the Abha morgue, Sunday, said that the body was fully burnt and the face was beyond recognition.

He added the consulate had requested a post mortem which will be held in the coming days. The police report has been submitted to the Abha Governorate.

The consul said that he would arrange a visit visa if Shamsudeen's relatives want to see the body before its burial.

His relatives have already given their consent for burial in the Kingdom.

Shamsudeen's sponsors have agreed to bear the travel cost for two of his relatives to visit the Kingdom for this purpose.

Deen, Shamsudeen's father said his son had told his wife, Fathima Feroza, that if he were to die in the Kingdom then his last wish would be to be buried in Makkah.

If I had known that this would happen so quickly, I would have asked him to come back for good, he said.

Shamsudeen is also survived by his one-year-old daughter, Ayesha. Deen said his son visited Sri Lanka two years ago to get married and returned four months ago to see his daughter.

During his last visit, Shamsudeen had told his wife that he would take them to the Kingdom.