The Attorney General yesterday informed the Court of Appeal that 80% of investigations into the Welikada prison riot in 2012 had been concluded by the CID.
Senior State Counsel Madawa Tennakoon appearing for the Attorney General informed court that the progress of the investigation into the Welikada prison riot has been reported to the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court through B reports.
The Bench comprised Court of Appeal President, Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Shiran Goonaratne.
The Court of Appeal fixed the writ petition for support on February 15.
Sudesh Nandimal Silva who was in remand at the time the incidents took place had filed this writ petition citing Commissioner General of Prisons, CID Director, the IGP, Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Minister and the Attorney General as respondents.
Silva said he was bringing to the Court’s attention what he saw and was within his personal knowledge of the said tragic incidents to obtain relief.
On November 9, 2012 at about 1 pm, the petitioner and other prisoners at Welikada prison received information that personnel from the Army and STF were about to enter the prison to conduct a search operation. The petitioner got to know that here was an argument between prison officials and a contingent TID, STF waiting at the gate of the prisonon the procedure related to the search operation. The petitioner stated that the prison was in the control of the Army until on November 10, 2012. By that time 27 of prison inmates had been killed by the STF,Army,TID, Prison Intelligence. Silva had made a complaint to the CID on February 2, 2015.
The petitioner stated that although four years has lapsed since the brutal killings of these prisoners no action has yet been taken by the police or the Attorney General to conduct the investigation and prosecute the offenders.
This petition was filed through senior counsel K.S. Ratnavale and counsel Senaka Perera.
Senior State Counsel Madawa Tennakoon appeared for the Attorney General.