An organized external hand behind the Mahara Prison clash

Minister of Justice Harshan Nanayakkara states that while the existing overcrowding may have contributed to some extent to the unrest at Mahara Prison, a comprehensive investigation will be conducted into whether any organized external force was operating behind it. According to the information currently received, this conflict primarily arose between the inmates and the prison administration.

However, the government's special attention has been drawn to whether there was any influence from external parties in instigating this violent atmosphere.

The Minister points out that due to the special anti-drug operations currently being implemented nationwide by the government, the flow of drugs into prisons has been significantly controlled, and this may have been one of the main reasons for the current unrest. Acknowledging that overcrowding in prisons is a serious administrative and humanitarian problem, the Minister also points out that it is not the sole cause for such a crisis.

To alleviate this overcrowding, steps are being taken to increase the capacity of prisons, and the government is currently taking measures to prevent delays in obtaining government analyst reports and to introduce necessary legal amendments to expedite the bail procedure for certain drug-related charges. The Minister revealed that nearly 23,000 inmates are currently imprisoned for drug-related offenses and emphasized that this problem cannot be solved solely through law enforcement.

The Minister stated that while the government can control the supply of drugs through law, the demand for them must also be reduced, and there is a need for a broad positive social approach to achieve this, pointing out that drug use is deeply rooted among certain segments of society as the reason. Meanwhile, inmates suspected of being directly involved in the unrest at Mahara Prison have now been transferred to other prisons.

While strict disciplinary action will be taken against those responsible for this incident, authorities are also investigating whether there was any organized attempt to orchestrate this violence from outside the prison. Minister Harshan Nanayakkara further stated that since such incidents do not occur suddenly without any basis, he has instructed the relevant authorities to investigate any organized external interventions behind them.