Attorney-at-law Udul Premaratne said that there is a conspiracy to protect the murderers of Sumith Prasanna who died early this year during a police clash at a party in Embilipitiya.

As the lawyer who represents the deceased’s family, Premaratne made this observation yesterday during a press conference held in Colombo.

The relatives of Sumith Prasanna had not requested to carry out a second autopsy, Premaratna claimed. The wife of the deceased had filed an affidavit to the courts, opposing the measures to exhume Sumith Prasanna’s body for a second autopsy, Premaratne said.  

“It was suspicious that President’s Counsel Hemantha Warnakulasuriya requested the court for a second autopsy under the circumstances, as if to defend the accused police personnel”, Premaratne said.

Speaking further, the lawyer said that an autopsy could only reveal the cause of death, and confirmed causes of death stated in the second forensic report are different from the causes reported in first JMO’s report. Conducting a second autopsy is a conspiracy to cover up the murderers, he said.

The second forensic report into the death of Sumith Prasanna was issued according to the instructions given by the lawyer of former Embilipitiya ASP D. W. C. Dharmaratne and it was formed to mislead the court, Premaratne added.