Mother suspects foul play

Soldier’s body exhumed

Anuradhapura Central special corr.

The body of Sugathapalage Palitha Priyankara Udayakumara, of Mahakanadarawa, a former soldier attached to the Mannar Army Camp believed to have died of electrocution nine years ago, was exhumed on a Magisterial order in the presence of Anuradhapura Magistrate and Additional District Judge Darshika Wimalasiri on Thursday morning.

This follows a complaint made by the soldier’s mother that she suspected foul play regarding her son’s death as the cause of death was not specifically stated at the post mortem held earlier. She also said that her son had separated from his first wife and that he had died on November 13, 2001, when he visited Pandukabhayapura in response to a letter received from the first wife. She suspected the first wife and two of her relatives to have had a hand in her son’s death.

Following the examination of the body, the Magistrate ordered the Anuradhapura Police Crime Division to send the body parts to the Anuradhapura Teaching hospital morgue for examination and report by JMO Dr D L Waidyaratne to ascertain the cause of death.