UPDATE: 03 police teams probing mysterious death of foreign monk

by Zulfick Farzan 09-12-2020 | 5:40 PM

Colombo (News 1st); The postmortem examination on the body of a foreign monk discovered in the Rathgama lagoon will be 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.

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.

Sri Lanka Police suspect the late thero may have been murdered elsewhere then drowned in the lagoon.

The Galle Chief Magistrate conducted the magisterial inquest on Wednesday (09) morning and thereafter the body was brought ashore.

Thereafter the body was moved to the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital and three police teams are investigating the incident.