Colombo, August 2, 2025 — The Dematagoda Police today submitted a detailed report to Colombo Additional Magistrate Kasun Kanchana Dissanayake concerning the tragic discovery of an infant’s body found abandoned inside a passenger train carriage that had arrived in Colombo from Puttalam.
According to police, the body of the newborn—believed to be just a few days old—was discovered by railway cleaning staff during routine sanitation work after the train had been parked at the yard. Preliminary investigations suggest the infant may have been left onboard during the long interprovincial journey.
Authorities noted that there were no visible external injuries on the body, but a post-mortem examination has been ordered to determine the exact cause and time of death. Investigators are also awaiting the forensic and medical examiner’s reports to clarify whether the infant had died before or after being abandoned.
Magistrate ordered the Police to obtain CCTV footage from key train stations along the route and gather passenger manifest data in coordination with Sri Lanka Railways. “Every effort must be taken to identify who left this child behind. This is a matter of grave public concern,” the magistrate stated during the hearing.
The Police have appealed to the public for any information that may assist in tracing the origin of the infant and the person or persons responsible for leaving the child behind.
The case has sent shockwaves across the city and drawn widespread condemnation from child protection groups and human rights advocates, who are calling for stronger preventive mechanisms and improved social services to support at-risk mothers and newborns.
Further proceedings have been scheduled as police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the heartbreaking incident.
Leave a comment