Police Chief summons detectives probing Schaffter death

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Police teams investigating the death of businessman Dinesh Schaffter were summoned by the Police Chief for a meeting on Wednesday (28).

IGP C.D. Wickramaratne called for the meeting to discuss the progress of the investigations.

Eight Police teams including the Criminal Investigations Department are investigating the death of businessman Dinesh Schaffter.

Sri Lanka Police said these teams include forensics, homicides and organized crime investigation divisions.

The detectives were summoned by the IGP for a progress meeting on the investigations.

What we know so far:

Schaffter was found strangled in his car at the Borella Public Cemetery on Thursday (15) afternoon.

He died on Thursday (15) night after being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the National Hospital.

Dinesh Schaffter was 51-years-old at the time of his passing.

Investigations have revealed that businessman Dinesh Schaffter was already brain-dead when he was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital.

Reports produced by the Criminal Investigations Department noted that the businessman was already breathing his last en-route to the hospital.

Businessman Dinesh Schaffter was found bound and strangled inside his car at the Public Cemetery in Borella on the 15th of December, and was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital.

According to medical records, as soon as Dinesh Schaffter was brought to the hospital doctors had made great attempts to revive his heart, however, those efforts had failed.

Thereafter, later that night, Dinesh Schaffter was ruled dead.

However, the post-mortem report provided to the CID revealed that Dinesh Schaffter died only by strangulatation.

Forensic teams investigating the death of Dinesh Schaffter had found a wire similar to the one that was used to strangle him, and several zip-ties that were used to tie his hands, at his residence.

It is reported that the CID had requested for the opinion of the Judicial Medical Officers on the grounds that the death of Dinesh Schaffter was a possible suicide.

The JMOs had noted that as the forensic evidence at the scene were destroyed, it is scientifically impossible to specifically state if Dinesh Shaffter was strangled or whether he committed suicide.

According to reports, Krish Perera, a director at one of Schaffter's companies, had taken the businessman in his car from the Public Cemetery to the hospital in Colombo.

Therefore, as the evidence at the scene was destroyed, it has become difficult to scientifically rule if Dinesh Schaffter was murdered, or was it a suicide.

The wire used to strangle Dinesh Schaffter to the front seat of the car, was found on the back seat.

Expert Medical Examiners note that if the neck of a person is continuously held tight by a wire in such a manner, it blocks the blood circulation to the brain.

Sri Lanka Police said that moments before Dinesh Schaffter died, he had ordered a snack from a restaurant located down Malalasekera Mawatha in Borella.

The postmortem had uncovered the contents of that meal.

However, the postmortem report in possession of the CID notes that Dinesh Schaffter had reached a brain-dead stage between 30 and 40 minutes after he left home that day.

Dinesh Schaffter's wife had told the Borella Police that her husband had left home at 1.55 in the afternoon.

If that time is accurate, Dinesh Schaffter was possibly dead by 2.35 in the afternoon, based on the reports.

However, Former Cricket Commentator Brian Thomas revealed that he received a WhatsApp message from Dinesh Schaffter between 2.42 PM & 2.43 PM.

This raises suspicions whether businessman Dinesh Schaffter was murdered.

Police Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa told News 1st that detectives are investigating the death of businessman Dinesh Schaffter as a homicide and are pursuing multiple leads.

However, detectives are yet to name a suspect.