Police still awaiting Govt. Analyst’s report to unravel mystery behind Dutch monk’s death

by Suresh Perera

Police investigators are still awaiting the Government Analyst’s report to unravel the mystery behind the suspicious death of the Dutch monk, who was residing at the Dodanduwa Polgasduwa island monastery.

After the body of Ven. Olande Jinawansa thera was fished out of the Ratgama lagoon on December 8, a full-scale investigation was launched with the police trying to ascertain whether the 59-year-old bhikku was killed or, as some theories suggested, committed suicide.

“We are still waiting for the findings of the Government Analyst, which will shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the monk’s death”, says Senior DIG Rohan Silva in charge of the Southern province.

“Earlier, we took into custody a fisherman on suspicion as he had been fishing in the lagoon in the night at the time, but he was cleared and released after checking his mobile phone records plus verifying his statement to the police”, he said.

Divers and underwater cameras were used to trace the stone which had dislodged from one of the monk’s legs, but drew a blank as there was a thick layer of mud on the bed of the lagoon, and moreover there were many other stones of similar size and weight, the senior police official said.

“We couldn’t make much headway as a result”, he pointed out, while assuring that police investigators have followed every possible clue to establish the circumstances which led to the prelate’s death.

At the time Ven. Olande Jinawansa thera’s body was found, a stone was found tied to one of his legs, with indications that another stone similarly placed on his other leg had dislodged and probably fallen into the lagoon.

The theory that the Dutch monk took his own life gained currency after the autopsy revealed there was no water or sand in his lungs, which indicated that he had been alive at the time he was in the lagoon.

“We had to clear some doubts though preliminary investigations suggested the possibility of suicide”, Senior DIG Silva remarked.

The police are probing the bhikku’s death with an open mind, he said. “We want to get to the bottom of what transpired”.

The police and the STF have already searched the island, where the monastery is situated, plus an adjoining island, but nothing suspicious was found, the senior DIG said.

“We have also recorded the statements of scores of people, including other monks residing in the island, but there has been no indication so far that the bhikku was killed”, he added.

Known as Ven. Tone Jinawamso thera, the Dutch monk was earlier based in northern Thailand. He settled in Sri Lanka 12 years ago and was considered a loner, who kept to himself and went on pindapatha all by himself.