Probe into Mullaitivu ‘mass grave’ begins

The Mullaitivu Magistrate and the Police conducted a visit to the suspected mass grave site in the Kokkuthoduvai village, Mullaitivu yesterday (6). This visit marked the resumption of an investigation into the human skeletons discovered on 29 June 2023, during the digging of the ground to install a pipeline for a drinking water project.

The area was tightly secured, preventing access to the public, as the Magistrate conducted an inquiry into the mass grave.

When news of the detection of human skeletons broke on 29 June, villagers quickly gathered at the site. The excavation work was immediately halted and the matter was reported to the Magistrate’s Court by the Police.

The Mullaitivu Magistrate yesterday (6), in the presence of a Judicial Medical Officer (JOM), Police, lawyers, officials from the forensic department, water supply board, department of archaeology, telecom, and the Ceylon Electricity Board, visited the area. The main road in the Mullaitivu-Jaffna Route was closed off for excavation, as the site was located by the Main Road.

Several NGOs have recently raised concerns that approximately 20 identified mass graves have been left unattended.