NO UNDUE DELAY IN THAJUDEEN REPORT: FMR. JMO

Professor Ananda Samarasekera, the former Chief Judicial Medical Officer who conducted the initial post mortem inquiry into the death of Wassim Thajudeen yesterday in a statement said there was no undue delay in determining the cause of death and intimating it to court as stated by his sister.

His statement with reference to the statement made by the late Thajudeen’s sister Aisha Thajudeen states: The allegation that ‘it took one and half years for the Judicial Medical Officer to discover the cause of death’ is my concern as the Chief Judicial Medical Officer who conducted the postmortem examination on the order of Additional Magistrate, Colombo along with three other doctors on 17.05.2012 at the mortuary of Institute of Legal Medicine and Toxicology, Colombo, he said.

I wish to state that the time period mentioned in this statement is inaccurate. Having conducted the autopsy on 17th May 2012, the samples that were collected for further investigations were dispatched to relevant laboratories including the Government Analyst within a few days. A preliminary report was submitted to the investigating Magistrate in the hands of the attending police officer on the same day. By March 2013, except the government analyst report all other reports were available and I submitted a ten page interim report and annexures stating the Cause of Death, analysis of findings and opinion (1st and 2nd level) on 10 April 2013 to the Magistrate Court, Colombo. As such the cause of death was established and intimated to courts within about ten months. It is relevant to mention that certain period of time is required for the different laboratories to examine the samples and submit the reports as they are done according to the date of receiving by the respective laboratory. Subsequently I received the Government Analyst report dated 22.05.2013 and the findings of the government analyst of the samples sent had no significant bearing on the Cause of Death already determined and intimated to court. It is the usual practice for the court to request further report or to summon the J.M.O to testify if deems necessary but no such request or notice received until 13.05.2015.

Therefore I must categorically state that there was no undue delay in determining the cause of death and intimating it to court as stated in the news item.