Remains of those killed in the Sainthamaruthu bomb blast in 2019 are to be exhumed tomorrow (27), the Police Spokesman announced today.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nihal Thalduwa said that the remains will be exhumed at the Ampara cemetery.
Permission has been granted in this regard following a request made by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) from the Kalmunai Magistrate’s Court.
SSP Thalduwa further said the remains are being exhumed in order to identify the DNA of Pulasthini Mahendran alias Sarah Jesmin.
Following the 2019 Easter attacks, Mohammed Rilwan, who is the brother of the ring leader of the attacks Zahran Hashim, had caused an explosion at a house in the Sainthamaruthu area on 26th April as the Police had attempted to arrest him.
A total of 17 people including senior citizens and children had died in the explosion, while Sarah Jesmin was also said to have been among the dead.
Sarah Jasmin is the wife of the bomber who had targeted the Katuwapitiya Church in Negombo during the Easter attacks.
However, DNA samples of the dead had not revealed the presence of Sarah Jasmin following the explosion in Sainthamarudu.
As the samples had not shown Jesmin’s presence during the last two tests, a request has been made to conduct a third DNA test on the victims.
Following the Sainthamaruthu explosion and DNA tests, there were suspicions that Sarah Jesmin was alive and had fled to India.
The CID has requested a third DNA test to ascertain if Sarah Jesmin had died in the Sainthamaruthu blast or had fled the country at the time. (NewsWire)
