External food supply provided for Mahara inmates

The scenes of the incident at the Mahara Prison are scheduled to be inspected by the Government Analyst today (03).

The magisterial inquiry regarding the incident was conducted yesterday.

The postmortem examinations of the inmate who died from the incident are scheduled to be performed today, police further stated.

Investigations have also commenced regarding the clash across several avenues by now.

Meanwhile, the Department of Prisons decided to temporarily suspend visitor privileges for inmates for 03 days starting today.

The Department of Prisons states that there is currently no place or equipment to cook food for inmates because the prison kitchen was completely set on fire and destroyed, and accordingly, food will be brought to them from outside.

However, a senior official of the Department of Prisons mentioned upon our inquiry that another date is to be obtained for court proceedings as an issue arose regarding bringing a group of inmates for upcoming court proceedings following their transfer to other prisons after the incident.

Investigations into the unrest at the Mahara Prison are ongoing through several avenues.

Unrest broke out inside the Mahara Prison, where over 4,100 inmates are detained, on Saturday afternoon.

This occurred after the network of secretly smuggling drugs into the prison was completely disrupted.

A group of inmates who became mentally disturbed without drugs climbed onto a roof of the prison and protested against its administration, after which all inmates inside the prison reportedly came out of their wards.

A certain unrest also arose among the inmates at that time.

During that time, a group of inmates attempted to break a wall of the prison and escape, but it failed.

Another group of inmates broke into the pharmacy of the prison hospital, and several people reportedly drank the medicines found there.

Although prison officers took many security measures to control the situation at that time, the agitated inmates set fire to several buildings in the prison.

In addition to the Sri Lanka Police, the Police Special Task Force, the Riot Control Unit, and the Tri-Forces were called in teams on several occasions to control the situation.

Police took steps to impose a police curfew covering 3 Grama Niladhari Divisions in the Ragama Police area on that night itself to maintain peace in the area, and steps were taken to lift it yesterday afternoon.

reached control after nearly 13 hours after about 300 Police Special Task Force officers entered the prison premises yesterday morning and directed the inmates to their relevant wards.

10 inmates, including those known by the names Satan, Azar, and Patta, were identified as being behind this unrest, and steps were taken yesterday to transfer 104 inmates, including them, to other prisons.

During the unrest, inmates set fire to the prison kitchen, completely destroying it, and damaged many other properties, including the new rehabilitation building, the rehabilitation office, the main jailor's office, and the prison hospital.

The damage caused has not yet been calculated, and it is currently stated that damage worth millions occurred to prison property.

Accordingly, the situation inside the prison is currently completely under control.