Colombo: The body of Khuram Shaikh, the British tourist murdered in Sri Lanka on Christmas eve has been sent back home, the UK High Commission said here on Thursday.
Shaikh, a 32 year old working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Gaza strip was on holiday at a hotel in the southern resort of Tangalle. He died as a result of a deep stab wound and a single firearm injury to the head and multiple cuts. He was accompanied on holiday by a Russian national, Victoria Rustkacheva, who was seriously injured in a subsequent attack.
The British officials said the victim’s brother was in Colombo meeting local officials to inquire about the investigations towards bringing to book those responsible. At least six people including the ruling party’s chairman of the local council in Tangalle are under arrest for the murder. The government here has stressed that there will be no cover up in the investigations despite the involvement of the ruling party’s local politician.
The attack on the British tourist hurt the industry officials, fearing large scale cancellation of bookings. Lanka looks up to tourism as an engine of growth in the post conflict phase since the defeat of the LTTE’s campaign in May 2009. (PTI)
