I write to correct some serious errors in the above article headlined “Re-visiting 1987 Parliament Bomb Blast” byy Professor Ravindra Fernando. (The Sunday Times of 19.08.2018). Mr. Keerthi Abeywickrema, Member of Parliament and Mr. Norbert Senadeera , clerk were both admitted to the Colombo General Hospital with bomb blast injuries on 18.08.1987. Mr. Abeywickrema died [...]

Sunday Times 2

Parliament bomb: The second post-mortem examination after a Magisterial order

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I write to correct some serious errors in the above article headlined “Re-visiting 1987 Parliament Bomb Blast” byy Professor Ravindra Fernando. (The Sunday Times of 19.08.2018).
Mr. Keerthi Abeywickrema, Member of Parliament and Mr. Norbert Senadeera , clerk were both admitted to the Colombo General Hospital with bomb blast injuries on 18.08.1987.
Mr. Abeywickrema died the same day and the post mortem was held at 9.00 p.m. as Dr. Ravindra Fernando, Head of Department, had requested Senior Lecturer, Dr. Telisinghe to attend to it immediately.

Mr. Senadeera had died in the General Hospital at 7.50 a.m. on 23.08.1987.
In his article, Dr. Ravindra Fernando states: “ Ms. Ganlath ordered the post mortem which I started at 7.30 p.m. and completed at 11.30 p.m. Forensic Medicine Professor H.V.J. Fernando, Dr. Colvin Samarasinghe and Dr. P.U. Telisinghe were present at the post-mortem conducted at the Medico-Legal Morgue Colombo.” The reference is to 23rd August. There are some factual inaccuracies here.

On receipt of the Magistrate’s order, Dr. Ravindra Fernando had started his post-mortem examination at the General Hospital Colombo Mortuary and not at the Medico-Legal Morgue. The retired Forensic Medicine Professor H.V.J. Fernando came to the hospital at the request of Dr. Ravindra Fernando and departed after a short time. The above was conveyed to me later that day by Dr. Ravindra Fernando himself.

The Medico-Legal Morgue and the office of the JMO Colombo is one complex situated at 111, Francis Rd. Colombo 10, a short distance away from the General Hospital.
I was in my office, when the body, including the skull of Mr. Senadeera which had been opened up, was transported to the Medico-Legal Morgue in the evening at about 5.00 p.m. by my staff at the request of Dr. Ravindra Fernando. Dr. P.U. Telisinghe was with Dr. Ravindra Fernando at the Medico-Legal Morgue and no other doctor was present there. The post mortem examination was continued By Dr. Ravindra Fernando at the Medico-Legal Morgue.

I informed Dr. Ravindra Fernando that I had been served with a Magisterial order to do a second post-mortem examination on the body of Mr. Norbert Senadeera. He informed me that he had concluded his examination but had to examine some of the abdominal organs which were on another post-mortem table in the same room. I told him that I would be taking x-rays of the brain and commencing my examination thereafter and requested him to be with me.

It was I who commenced my examination at 8.00 p.m. on 23.08.1987 after the conclusion of the examination by Dr. Ravindra Fernando. Therefore, Dr. Ravindra Fernando could not have commenced his examination at 7.30 p.m. Dr. Ravindra Fernando, however, was present almost all the time when I did the second post-mortem examination. Dr.Telisinghe was also present at intervals.

After my examination, I gave the cause of death as “Necessarily fatal injuries to the brain associated with multiple fractures to the skull resulting from the penetration of the skull and brain by shrapnel from an explosive device.” I subsequently sent my Sworn Report to the Magistrate’s Court No. 4 – My No. SR/1454/08/87 with copy to the Officer in Charge of the Police Station.

Dr. M.S. L. Salgado
JMO Colombo at the relevant date.

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