Wasim Thajudeen
Wasim Thajudeen
Mohammed Wasim Thajudeen (died seventeen May 2012) was a Sri Lankan rugby union player who played for Havelock Sports Club and the national team. Thajudeen was killed in a car crash which was originally pronounced to be an accident but is presently being investigated as a murder. [1]
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Thajudeen was educated at S. Thomas’ Preparatory School and S. Thomas’ College, Climb on Lavinia. [Two] [Three] He played rugby for the latter inbetween two thousand one and 2003, serving as vice captain in 2003. [Three] He played for the national under nineteen schools team in 2003. [Four]
After school Thajudeen played for Havelock Sports Club. [Trio] [Four] He represented the Sri Lankan national team at the two thousand eight Hong Kong Sevens. [Four] [Five] He was appointed captain of Havelock in 2009. [Four] In July two thousand nine Thajudeen won the “Most Popular Rugby Player” award at the two thousand eight Caltex Observer Rugby Awards. [6] [7] An injury compelled him to stop playing. [Four] He was planning to make a comeback in two thousand twelve when he was killed. [Four]
Thajudeen worked in the travel/tourism industry, at Mackinnons American Express Travel inbetween two thousand three and two thousand eleven and at Citrus Vacations from two thousand eleven till his death. [8] [9] [Ten]
Thajudeen was killed on seventeen May two thousand twelve following what appeared to be a car crash. [Two] [11] He was 28. [12] [13] According to the police Thajudeen had been driving to the airport when, around 1.00am, he lost control of his car and crashed into the wall of the Shalika grounds on Park Road, Narahenpita, resulting in the car exploding. [Two] [Five] [11] Thajudeen was buried in the grounds of Dehiwala Mosque. [14] It has been alleged that before his death he was in conflict with a ‘youthfull politician’ of the Rajapaksa administration over the acquisition of the Havelocks Sports Club. [15] The death was surrounded by mystery with wild rumours and speculations. [16] [17] [Legitimate] There are allegations that Thajudeen was killed following a dispute with people related to a powerful member of the Rajapaksa government. [Legitimate] [Nineteen]
In February 2015, following a switch in government, the police announced that Thajudeen’s death was not accidental and that the investigation had been transferred over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). [20] [21] According to the police the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) had found the death to be suspicious. [22] [23] [24] In May two thousand fifteen the Colombo Extra Magistrate ordered the JMO to mitt over to the CID all photographs and notes relating to Thajudeen’s death. [25] [16] The CID informed the magistrate in June two thousand fifteen that the post mortem and the Government Analyst’s (GA) report were contradictory and that they had asked the Attorney General for instructions as to how to proceed. [26] The magistrate ordered the four JMOs who visited the scene of the accident and conducted the post mortem to mitt over their reports to the court. [26] He also ordered mobile phone operators and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission to mitt over call records for seventeen May two thousand twelve for Thajudeen’s mobile phone. [26] In July two thousand fifteen Dialog Telekom informed the magistrate that they could not retrieve Thajudeen’s mobile phone records due to “technical and practical limitation”. [27]
The CID informed the magistrate on twenty seven July two thousand fifteen that Thajudeen had been murdered. [28] [29] [30] According to the CID Thajudeen’s assets showcased signs of torment: his teeth and pelvic bones had been violated, his ribs had been fractured, his neck had been pierced with a acute instrument and the muscles in his gams had been cut with a lump of cracked glass. [28] [29] [17] There were also signs that he had been assaulted with a blunt instrument. [29] [17] On six August two thousand fifteen the magistrate ordered the JMOs to exhume Thajudeen’s figure on ten August 2015. [31] [32] In the mean time his grave is being given protection to prevent any tampering. [33] [34]
In two thousand fifteen when Thajudeen’s death was mentioned by an UNP MP Mujibur Rahuman in the parliament several UPFA members from Rajapaksa government obstructed him and threatened him.UPFA MPs Johnston Fernando, Indika Anuruddha and Sanath Nishantha surrounded him and stopped him from delivering his speech allegedly making death threats. [35] [36]
The police have claimed that the initial investigation into Thajudeen’s death was shelved due to political pressure. [Nineteen] The CID has claimed that there had been attempts to hide evidence during the initial police investigation – the police deliberately failed to obtain CCTV footage, phone records and testimony from neighbours, security guards at Shalika grounds and fire fighters who attended the incident. [37] The police also failed to investigate the fact that Thajudeen’s assets was found on the passenger side of his car. [37] The post mortem found carbon monoxide inwards Thajudeen’s lungs but the GA found no evidence of carbon monoxide. [37] [38] Thajudeen’s wallet was found, without any signs of being burnt, in Kirulapone a few days after his death. [29] [17] The Daily Mirror newspaper claims to have found an eyewitness to the incident who eyed two Land Rover Defenders at the scene. [Legitimate] According to government minister Rajitha Senaratne Thajudeen has been killed by three members of the Presidential Security Division (PSD). [39] [40] Former Senior DIG Anura Senanayake and former Narahenpita Crimes OIC Sumith Perera were remanded for their alleged involvement and the CID began investigating the phone calls of Damian Fernando who was the Nrahenpita OIC during the time of the crime. [41] The investigations exposed that Damian Fernando received several calls from the Presidential Secretariat right afer the crime.The PSD officers who served under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa are presently under investigation, for telephoning the former Narahenpita OIC. [42]
In September two thousand sixteen Senior State Counsel Dilan Ratnayake informed Court that investigations exposed that Carlton House of the Rajapaksa family in Hambantota had been included in the internal phone network connection of the Presidential Secretariat. It was also exposed that the former chief JMO Ananda Samarasekara had dispatched figure parts of Wasim Thajudeen from the refrigerator a few days prior to his retirement and they are being investigated under the Public Property Act as the bod parts had been taken into the former JMO’s custody as case productions and, therefore belongs to the state. [43]