2012 Welikada Prison incident suspect duo re-remanded
Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) Inspector Neomal Rangajeewa and Prisons Department Commissioner Emil Ranjan Lamahewa, who were in remand custody over the Welikada Prison riots in 2012 when 27 inmates were killed, were ordered to be further remanded till 31 July by Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage earlier today.
When the said case was taken up for hearing at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, the two suspects were produced by the Prison officers.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) representing the prosecution told the Court that investigations into the case were not yet completed.
Taking the submissions into consideration, Additional Magistrate Liyanage ordered the two suspects to be further remanded till the end of this month.
The CID told the Court that upon receiving information that illegal cell phones and drugs were in the possession of inmates, a search operation to confiscate the items had been launched by the Special Task Force (STF) on 9 November, 2012.
The CID told the Court that a group of inmates having broken into the Prison armoury had got hold of weapons before firing at the STF.
The CID informed the Court that in the ensuing clash between the inmates and the STF, 27 inmates had been killed before the Army had been deployed to bring the situation under control.
The CID informed the Court that the investigations conducted into the incident had revealed that one of the main suspects in the case, Rangajeewa dressed in civvies had chosen a few inmates in the ensuing clash before killing them.
The CID apprehended Rangajeewa and Lamahewa on 28 March in connection with the case.
