The third DNA report on Sarah Jasmin, which specifies that she is not among the living, is unacceptable, states the Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.
Sara Jasmin, also known as Pulastini Mahendran, was the wife of Mohammed Hasthun, the suicide bomber suspected of attacking Katuwapitiya church on the Easter Sunday of April 2019.
“Though there were two investigations, it was not finally proved by DNA evidence,” the police said in a statement in April 2022.
Therefore, investigators sought permission from magistrate courts to exhume the body.
Nevertheless, there has been speculation that “Sara Jasmin” has fled the country.
On April 26, she was said to have been one of 17 who died in a safe house in Sainthamaruthu, Ampara, while authorities were searching for the families of suicide bombers.
Having presented a report for the third time yesterday regarding Sarah Jasmin, who is said to have been responsible for orchestrating the Easter terror attacks and then disappeared, the government now claims that she is not among the living.
In the current circumstances, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said that there was nothing else they could do but request an international investigation in this regard.
He said that the government behaved like a person who failed an exam and passed it after appearing for it several times.
His Eminence Cardinal Ranjith pointed out that there are no countries in the world that carry out DNA tests until they get the results they want; this is how we show our stupidity to the world and become laughing stocks.
He said this while answering a question posed by a journalist during a press conference held at the Colombo Archbishop’s residence on the 4th.
“It was our fervent hope to settle this issue within Sri Lanka without making it an international issue.”
We called on governments to conduct a transparent investigation into the Easter attack.
We requested the Yahapalana government (good governance) and the Gotabaya government. And now we are asking the current government. There has been no transparent investigation regarding the Easter attack. What happens is that they often do things to get the results they want.
It cannot be accepted. We have no other choice. If the government does that, we will have to seek the help of international organizations to alleviate the sufferings of our people.” Cardianl Malcolm Ranjith said.
