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Photographs: Lanka Files
Excavations at the Colombo Port mass grave, where over one hundred human skeletons have been unearthed, have officially concluded, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court was informed this week.
The case was taken up on 13 October 2025 before Colombo Magistrate Kasun Kanchana Dissanayake, who directed Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Dr. Sunil Hewage to begin the medical analysis of the skeletal remains.
According to court reports, the remains of at least 106 individuals were recovered during the excavations. The skeletons are currently in the custody of the Police Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) and are to be formally handed over for forensic analysis under court supervision.
The excavation, led by Dr. Hewage and forensic archaeologist Professor Raj Somadeva, marks one of the largest mass grave investigations in Sri Lanka’s history. The Colombo Port mass grave was discovered in July 2024 within a high-security zone in the capital, during groundwork for the construction of a new expressway leading to the port.
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Following the discovery, Colombo Additional Magistrate Bandara Ilangasinghe ordered the commencement of formal excavations in September 2024, which continued for over a year. During the latest hearing, attorney Woshan Herath, representing the aggrieved parties, requested that a discussion be held with all relevant officials to determine how the medical and forensic analysis should proceed. The Magistrate adjourned the case to 28 November 2025.
The discovery of over a hundred human skeletons in Colombo will further concerns about Sri Lanka’s long history of mass graves and enforced disappearances, many of which remain unresolved decades after the end of the armed conflict.
Similar mass graves have previously been uncovered across the island, including in Chemmani, Mannar, and Mullaitivu, revealing evidence of extrajudicial killings and state-sanctioned violence. Despite repeated international calls for accountability and proper forensic investigation, no conclusive prosecutions have ever been made.
The Colombo Port site, located within one of the most tightly guarded areas of the capital, is now the fourth-largest mass grave ever excavated on the island.