CID investigation takes new turn:
Antenna wire, cable ties similar to one used to tie Schaffter’s hands found at his house:
Law & Order
Gayan Kumara Weerasinghe and Bimal Jayasinghe
Bandaragama
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The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation regarding the death of Janashakthi Group Director Dinesh Schaffter has taken a new turn.
The investigations done by the Organized Crime Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Department has taken a new turn with the investigators suspecting that the death of the Janashakthi director was not caused by the people they suspected earlier but due to some other incident.
CID sources say new evidence suggest a close associate of Schaffter whom the CID suspected strongly as the killer earlier is no longer considered as the prime suspect in the murder.
According to the request of the Criminal Investigation Department, a special team from the Government Analyst’s department went to the house where Schaffter lived in Flower Road, Colombo 7 on Saturday evening and conducted an inspection.
According to information from the investigation teams, the rest of the antenna wire that had been used to strangle Schaffter and some cable ties similar to one used to tie Schaffter’s hands were found in that house.
It is said that the antenna wire was used for Schaffter’s mother’s television. Around 08 cable ties had been found in a desk drawer in Dinesh Schaffter’s room.
Related sources revealed that the Criminal Investigation Department has asked the doctors who conducted the post-mortem examination of Schaffter about the possibility of their new suspicions about the manner in which Schaffter died. But the doctor’s opinion in this regard has been vague and their reply has been that it may or may not be possible.
Sources revealed that the Criminal Investigation Department is currently gathering evidence to confirm its new theory.
It has been clearly revealed that Borella Public Cemetery is not an unfamiliar place for Dinesh Schaffter. Sources say, if Borella Public Cemetery was an unfamiliar place for him, he would not have stopped the car at the location he parked it.
Investigations revealed that Dinesh Schaffter left his home at around 2.06 p.m. that day and bought enough snacks for two from a snack stall located at Malalasekara Mawatha, Colombo 7. It was confirmed in the post-mortem examination that he had eaten that food. Investigations also revealed that the type of cable tie that was used to tie Dinesh Schaffter’s hands was not a type commonly used in this country.
A minor employee of the cemetery had seen a person walking near the car in which Schaffter was in. The identity of that person has not been revealed.
Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that Schaffter has invested millions of rupees in the business activities, but his business has suffered losses day by day due to the inability to recover the money as expected.
A land worth about Rs. 3000 million purchased from Nuwara Eliya area has been acquired by the Provincial Road Development Authority, and an investment of Rs. 850 million invested in a business with a Jaffna District Parliamentarian too is said to have been lost, also the dispute regarding Rs.1,600 million given to cricket commentator Brian Thomas and according to sources close to family he has lost around Rs.20,000 million due to failed business transactions.
Also, the investigators have focused on a letter written by Schaffter to his wife’s mother containing emotional comments such as “Thank you very much for raising such a good daughter.”
Police Media Spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police Nihal Talduwa said investigators are concentrating on areas such as the reason for the murder, in what manner it was done, what was the expectation, the plan etc. Talduwa said that more than 75 people have been questioned so far.
The Criminal Investigation Department stated that family members were also among those who have been questioned. Dinesh Schaffter’s two brothers and a sister are among those questioned. Information from the Criminal Investigation Department stated that they were also asked about Dinesh Schaffter’s property as well as business transactions.
Talduwa also said that security camera footage from Schaffter’s house and at other locations were helping the investigators a lot.
In connection with the investigations related to this crime, in addition to Dinesh Schaffter’s phone number, his wife’s, Dinesh Shafter’s friend and employee K. Perera, the cemetery worker who assisted in taking Dinesh Schaffter to the hospital, as well as the mobile phone number of an office assistant of Dinesh Schaffter have also been referred for an analysis by a Court order.
Monday, December 26, 2022 – 01:27
