COLOMBO : Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the Inspector General Police to assign the Criminal Investigations Department to conduct an investigation with respect to the death of a Dutch monk who was residing at the Polgasduwa Aranya Senasanaya on a meditation retreat.
Further, the Prime Minister has told the IGP to deploy a special team of CID detectives to the scene of the incident, and take measures to arrest the perpetrators, the News First reported on Thursday.
The Inspector-General of Police had informed the Prime Minister that several police teams are already investigating the death of the Dutch Monk adding, a CID team had also visited the area to commence investigations.
The postmortem examination was carried out later on Wednesday 09.
According to reports, the deceased was identified as Venerable Netherlanthaye Jinawansa Thero, aged 60.
The late thero was residing at the Katudampe Polgasduwa Aranya Senasanaya in Rathgama, and his body was discovered in the Rathgama lagoon.
The Aranya Senasanaya is located on a small island and several other monks also reside there.
The News 1st correspondent in the area reported the canoe used by the late thero to travel between the island and the mainland was found overturned not far from where the body was discovered.
It was reported weight was tied on to the feet of the thero and he was drowned.
The late Venerable Netherlanthaye Jinawansa Thero was engaged in a meditation retreat at the Aranya Senasanaya for over a decade and only engages in Pindapatha on the mainland.
