TENSE SITUATION AT WELIKADA PRISON

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Pandemonium at Welkada Prison
Death total rises to 27
Amongst the dead is the suspect of Manju Sri Nilame in Kotte’s Raja Maha Viharaya’s double murder of Bikkhus and the suspect in a murder case Anusha Sonali’s illegal husband.
After bringing the situation under control this morning a thorough inspection was made to account for those injured, dead and those missing in the premises of the Welikada Prison. During this inspection 11 dead bodies were found and identified and with yesterdays tally of 16 deaths the total of those killed amounted to 27 prisoners.
The total number who was injured is reported as 59.Amongst them are 04 army personnel, 10 STF personnel and one Prison official. The STF Commandant DIG R.W.M.C. Ranawana after his stomach surgery is supposed to recovering and his condition is reported as stable.
Some of the persons who sustained minor injuries had left the Colombo National hospital OPD after treatment. As at this moment 35 injured persons are still warded .Out of them 19 had been operated on for various types of injuries. Among them five are treated in the in the Intensive care unit ward while three are in the care of the ICU proper.
One reason for the increase in the deaths of the prisoners is that the prisoners had later broken into the second weapons stores and had grabbed 82 T 56 rifles and started firing at will. Many had escaped from the prison. Among then some had fled away. The Police are on the hunt to trace them. Seven of them had surrendered to the police. Still the Commissioner General of the Prisons has not been furnished with precise details as to who had escaped for him to give a correct report.
Among those killed are some LTTE detainees and some who are sentenced to death while  some who have been served with life time imprisonment. It is learnt that those sentenced to death are Asavappulige Jothipala ‘alias’Kapila, kankanamlage Malinda Nilendra ‘alias’ Marlon, T .H.Lestor de Silva. Among those serving life imprisonment are Mohammad Vijaya Rohana ‘alias’ Gunda, Manju Sri, Harsha, Thushara Chandra ‘alias’ Kalu Thushara, konda Amila and a few others. These are the prisoners who have been killed in the shoot out. It is learnt that Manju Sri also known as a ‘Basnayake Nilame’ who was a suspect in the dual murder of Bikkhus at the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya was one among those killed.
Also killed in this manner was the illegal husband of popular film actress Anusha Sonali, a suspect in a murder case Malindra Nilendra it is reported.
Manju Sri was responsible for planning the dual murder of Bikkhus at the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya as mentioned earlier was also among those killed.

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16 killed in Welikada Prison clash (Video)

Today evening there was pandemonium inside the Welkada prison premises. This was owing to the protests made by the inmates when they were subjected to a search for mobile phones that they possessed. Once initially during a search some mobile phones were detected in the possession of the inmates.
When another group of police personnel had come to further search them the prisoners were annoyed and had attacked them hurling missiles in protest. To bring the situation under control Police had to use tear gas.
This search was made as it was made to understand that many unwanted activities were carried inside the Welikada prison by the inmates. This search was disliked by the inmates. To bring the situation under control the help of the Special Task force personnel and later of the Army was summoned. During the clash The STF Commandant DIG R.W.M.C Ranawana sustained gunshot injuries in the stomach and had to be admitted to the Colombo’s National Hospital. It is learnt that an emergency operation had been carried on him.
It is learnt that the inmates of the Prison had broken the weapon room and seized 250 rifles and 90 pistols. Gun fire sounds had been heard over a long period of time it is reliably learnt. From the clash it is reported that 16 had been killed and 43 persons injured and admitted to the Colombo’s National Hospital.
The latest situation heard via the ‘Sirasa’ video could be heard and viewed from BELOW: