Negombo Magistrate Shilani Perera today (July 23) declared that a criminal offense had been committed during the recent unrest at the Negombo Prison and ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to conduct a thorough investigation to produce the suspects before the court.
Delivering the post-mortem findings in open court, the Magistrate announced that out of the 28 inmates whose causes of death were formally declared, 17 died from gunshot wounds, while 11 succumbed to multiple injuries inflicted by blunt weapons. The legal proceedings pertain to the violent unrest that broke out at the facility on July 5 and 6.
Submitting a further progress report to the court, CID officers informed the Magistrate that statements have already been recorded from 969 individuals, including 200 prison officers, 563 inmates, 130 Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel, 11 police officers, and 65 civilians. Investigators stated that the inquiry is structured around three main aspects: the initial attack on July 5, the escalation on July 6, and the resulting deaths and destruction of prison property.
Providing further details on the security deployment during the incident, the CID reported that 89 officers from the Emergency Response Tactical Force at the Welikada Prison Headquarters were deployed to Negombo to control the situation. The unit brought 10 firearms and 300 rounds of ammunition, of which only 12 rounds were expended. The CID has taken custody of the 10 firearms and the remaining ammunition for forensic testing.
Investigative findings revealed that the riot was triggered by a meticulously planned attack carried out by a small group targeting inmates who had provided information to prison authorities regarding drug smuggling inside the prison. The violence subsequently expanded to target prison officers. While aliases of 40 suspects behind the plot have been identified, further investigations are underway to establish their exact identities.
Appearing for the aggrieved party representing the deceased inmates, Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera raised serious questions regarding administrative negligence and excessive force. He questioned why prison authorities failed to segregate the conflicting groups following the initial clash on the first day and questioned whether tear gas was available in the prison armory. Perera further cited evidence of an officer firing into the facility through a small window, arguing that such acts fall under murder under Section 294 of the Penal Code and criminal negligence under Section 298, urging the court to issue directives to ensure a balanced investigation.
