NEW NAME SOUGHT FOR ‘HANGMAN’

Request from the Commissioner Of Prisons to suggest a modernised word for ‘Hangman’

It has been suggested to the Department of Prisons to change the title of ‘Hangman’ to a more pleasant sounding name. The Director General of the Prisons W.Kodipilly has made a request to the general public to forward to him some suggestive names to replace the title of ‘Alugosuwa’ for his due consideration.
At present there exists a vacancy for this post and new applications would be entertained through an advertisement in the local newspapers once a suitable name is found and approved.
However those who were holding this post had been idling without any work as since 1976 ‘execution’ of persons sentenced to death was withdrawn and those ordered to be hung were serving sentences up to death.
To date there are 357 prisoners served with sentence of death are at the Welikada and Bogambara prisons.