CID instructed to determine forensic expertise on Mannaar mass graves in unison with victims

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2016, 22:12 GMT]
Mannaar Magistrate A G Alex Raja has instructed the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to come to a conclusion without further delay on the external institution that should be conducting the scientific investigations on more than 80 human skeletons from the alleged mass graves at Thirukkeatheesvaram in Mannaar exhumed since December 2013. The decision on external scientific institution should be taken in unison with the lawyers, who represent the families of enforced-disappeared in Mannaar, the Magistrate has instructed the CID.

Mannaar Magistrate, taking up the investigation on Monday this week, has also instructed the parties to document the requirements of the external institution on the forensic analysis, legal sources in Mannaar said.

The ‘Sri Lankan’ CID has been postponing the process citing lack of response from Latin American institutions.

Next hearing on the case has been fixed to 15 January 2017.

In the meantime, a separate case on the excavation of an abandoned well situated near the mass grave site was closed without any significant findings.

So far, more than 80 human skeletons have been recovered at the alleged mass grave site, which is situated near Maanthai junction. The area has been under the control of the occupying Sri Lankan military during the times of war and the site was used as a rear base of the SL military that uprooted the Tamil people from the area in 1990.

Chronology: