Sri Lanka's former national rugby player murdered: medical reports

Sri Lankan medical officers have revealed that the death of former national rugby player Wasim Thajudeen was a murder, reversing an initial conclusion by investigators that he had died in a car crash, local media reports said on Friday.

Thajudeen's death got widespread publicity after investigators re-opened the case after the new government of President Maithripala Sirisena came into power this year.

Sirisena had vowed to investigate high profile murders which had taken place during the former Mahinda Rajapakse regime and charge anyone in connection with the deaths.

Thajudeen's body was found in his fire gutted car in the capital in May 2012, leading to speculation that he had died in a car crash.

But a local court in August gave the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) approval to exhume Thajudeen's body after the police re-opened the case, almost 3 years since his death.

Following intense investigations, medical experts on Thursday submitted a report to Colombo additional magistrate Nishantha Peiris stating that the former player had been beaten up and placed on the front passenger seat of his car. The car was later made to crash onto a wall and then set on fire.

Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse's second son has been rumored to be linked to the death, although the former first family have denied any links.