FRIDAY’S PRISON CLASH-UPDATES

KALU THUSHARA AND KONDA KAPILAGE
SPEARHEADS THE PRISON CLASH

 From investigations revealed by the CID those responsible  for the Welikada prison clash during the exchange of fire had been by slain Thusitha Chandana alias Kalu Thushara and the slain Asarappuge Jothipala alias Konda Kapila, both well known underworld criminals.
There had been about 900 hard core criminals as prisoners who had been serving life time imprisonment and some sentenced to death by hanging for punishments for murders. It is learnt that they had not been searched for a period of 15 years.
They had been subjected to a search by the Special Task Police personnel who had been able to snatch some mobile phones and narcotics and other illegal belongings they had in their possession. While those were taken away the hard core prisoners hah got provoked and had started throwing stones at the STF personnel in retaliation. With this happening the clash had followed it has been reported.
It is not clear why these prisoners were not searched for such a long length of time. Owing to the anger for taking away the illegal belongings the above two underworld criminals together the rest of the prisoners had got very provoked. The prisoners had broken two fire weapon stores and had grabbed weapons and had fought face to face with the Special Task Force personnel. These two weapon stores are in this premises as the prison guards need to take the out when criminals are taken out to hear the respective cases.
During a clash between the  Special Task Force personnel and the prisoners lead by the above two had resulted in their deaths .Nine prisoners carrying T 56 rifles and while firing at those in the vicinity had tried to escape in a three wheeler out of the prison premises. During the exchange of fire the STF commandant DIG Ranawana had been shot in the stomach and the arm.
At that time, Senior DIG Anura Senanayake, Directors of CID Hemantha Dickkotwita. R.L.Ranaweera,Chief Inspector of Police P. Neville Silva had laid down on the ground  and had escaped from receiving gun firing. The STF had fired at the three wheeler in self defence and prevented it been trying to escape it is reported. During this clash altogether 27 prisoners were killed.11 prisoners were killed in clashed inside the prison clashes on Friday night while 16 were killed in face to face firing on the wee hours of the 10th Saturday morning also inside the prison premises. 
All 27 bodies of those dead had been moved to the Police mortuary and all bodies have been identified by the Police and the Prison authorities. But yet about three bodies are yet to be identified and claimed by the relatives of the slain prisoners.. Amongst the dead are two who had been sentenced to death, some sentenced for life imprisonment accused for raping women and doing narcotic business.
Of those who escaped while the shoot out was on seven of them have surrendered with the weapons to the Police. Others who escaped with weapons have not been caught and a hunt is going on to apprehend them. The prisoners had grabbed 82 T 56 rifles out of which 76 have been recovered.
The names of the 27 persons killed are appended below:
Warnakulasuriya Mudiyanselage Sarath Wijesuriya
Susantha De Silva
Don Gayantha Pushpakumara
Mohammad Ransadiha Naufer
Guruge Samantha Fernando
Pelawila Vithanage Don Sameera Malith Wijesinghe
Devaraja Malwarage Sugath Kumara
Weligama Thuppahige Asanka Udaya Kumara
Wallage Lalantha Wijesiri
Kahankalu Poshaarachchilage Priyantha
Ranasinghe Arachchilage Janaka lasantha
Asitha Sanjeewa Dissanayake
Diluth Sanjeewa Rajapaksa
Ratnaweera Patabendige Leslie
Ramanathan Pala Perumal
Liyanarachchilage Anura
A.Surappulige Jothipala alias Konna kapila ( who has been sentenced to death for murder)
Kankanamlage Malinda Nilendra Pelpola alias Marlon ( who has been sentenced to death for murder/Illegal husband of actress Anusha Sonali)
Mohamed Wijaya Rohana alias Gunda ( sentenced to life imprisonment)
Harsha Manju Sri  Manakeerthi Perera ( suspect of the dual murder of Bihhkus at the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya)
Nirmala Atapattu (sentenced for narcotics)
Thushara Chandana alias Kalu Thushara (sentenced for murder and looting)
R.Prasanna Perera (sentenced for escaping from the Maligawatta Magistrate courts during a hearing)
Malith Sameera Perera  alias Konda Amila ( sentenced for possessing fire arms and narcotics)
A.M.Tissa Kumara  (sentenced for raping)
J.m Lestor  de Silva ( sentenced to death)
M.Salladeen  Mohamed Aswerda ( jail sentence)
Some of the photographs in the clash could be viewed from BELOW: