Sri Lanka police to probe mysterious death of Colombo businessman

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka police on Friday began a probe into the death of a well-known Colombo-based businessman, apparently attacked and abandoned in mysterious circumstances.

The incident, which has shaken many in Sri Lanka, came to light late on Thursday when Dinesh Schaffter, a noted business leader and former cricket administrator, was found seriously injured and tied to his car seat, on the premises of a cemetery at the heart of Colombo. Local media reports said he was rushed to the hospital, where he died hours later.

Sri Lankan news portal Economy Next reported that criminal investigators questioned “a former cricket commentator and media personality” in connection with Mr. Schaffter’s death, even as they pursue multiple lines of inquiry. Some media reports pointed to a pending case, earlier filed by Mr. Schaffter, against a debtor who reportedly owed him a huge sum of money.

Later on Friday, the Colombo Magistrate Court issued an order preventing Sri Lankan cricket commentator Brian Thomas from leaving the country, in connection with the ongoing investigation.

Mr. Dinesh Schaffter is the son of Chandra Schaffter, a pioneer in Sri Lanka’s insurance sector, a former first-class cricketer, and a former general secretary of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), a prominent political group of Malaiyaha [hill country] Tamils that is currently in Opposition.

In a statement, Mr. Schaffter’s family said law enforcement authorities and the family were “trying to establish the facts” surrounding his death.