49 skeletal remains: Mystery continues

15 December 2012 03:51 am

Detectives had exhumed some 49 skeletal remains from the backyard of the Matale Hospital.  

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) had voiced concern over the manner in which the victims had been buried urged the government to hold an inquiry into the tragedy because of the growing suspicion surrounding the mass grave.

Questions are being asked about the cause of death, how they came to be buried there, whether it was on a court order and who might have been involved in carrying out the burial.

Excavations are continuing in an effort to locate more bodies if there are any and the collection of evidence or clues that would held the detectives with the investigations.

Speculation is rife as to whether they were the victims of the 1971 insurgency or the 1987/89 turmoil in the country buried in this block of land.
There is also the possibility that the area must have been used as a cemetery during British rule.

The skeletal remains were unearthed when authorities began digging up a block of land to build a bio gas unit for the Matale Hospital. (SD)