Colombo: Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana said that the situation at the Mahara Prison has been totally controlled and a special operation was conducted successfully without using any force with the participation of 600 officers of the Prison, Sri Lanka Police, and the STF.
The Deputy Police Chief noted, all the inmates who were inside the prison have been sent to their respective cells and detaining areas. The latest statistics according to the DIG are as follows: At least 117 Injured, out of which 2 are prison officers. The death toll has been increased to 11 inmates.
Autopsies of the bodies will be conducted in due course after the magisterial inquest.
According to DIG Ajith Rohana, 80 inmates are being treated at the Ragama hospital and one remandee is being treated at the National Hospital. A total 24 inmates have been released from the hospital and transferred to the Colombo Remand Prison.
The situation has been normalized in the Mahara Prison, however, security is provided continuously in the outer perimeter of the Mahara Prison by Police and the STF, the Deputy Police Chief concluded.
CID probe ordered
The Criminal Investigations Department commenced an inquiry into the prison riot, confirmed Deputy Police Chief Ajith Rohana. A CID team led by a Superintendent of Police was dispatched to investigate the events leading to the Riot. The bodies of the dead prisoners are yet to be identified said the Police Spokesperson adding the magisterial inquiry into the deceased will take place soon, followed by a postmortem examination.
A total of 107 prisoners were injured in the riot, said the police spokesperson who also said 200 Police Special Task Force personnel and 400 Police Officers have been deployed for security at the prison and the other perimeter. The riot started on Sunday (29) evening and went on until Monday (30) afternoon.
The Police Spokesperson said the Prison Superintendents Office, the Head Jailors Office, archives, stores, and infirmary were damaged by the rioting prisoners. Justice Minister Ali Sabry appointed a five-member committee to investigate the riots and violence that erupted at the prison. According to a statement from the ministry, the committee is chaired by retired High Court Judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena and includes Chief Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Justice U R De Silva, Justice Ministry Additional Secretary Rohana Hapugaswatte, Police Media Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana and former Prisons Commissioner Gamini Jayasinghe.
The committee is expected to submit an interim report within one week and another with recommendations for short and long-term actions within a month, the ministry said. The Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), C.D. Wickramaratne to probe into the tense situation escalated at the Prison after several inmates were reportedly struggling to escape the prison premises demonstrating unruly behavior.
