brand logo

Rights group writes to AG on Welikada massacre verdict

02 Feb 2022

  • Query position on appeal of acquittal of PNB’s Rangajeewa
BY Pamodi Waravita The Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) said yesterday (2) that they have written to the Attorney General (AG), on behalf of the families of those who were slain while being imprisoned during the massacre in 2012 at the Welikada Prison, regarding the verdict given to Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) Inspector of Police Neomal Rangajeewa, who was acquitted. “The families have spoken to us and also presented a written affidavit, stating that they want to appeal the verdict that was given to Rangajeewa. Thus, we have informed the AG regarding this,” CPRP Chairman and Attorney-At-Law Senaka Perera told The Morning yesterday. He added that the CPRP, on behalf of the families, hopes to file a case in the Court of Appeal against the verdict. The Colombo High Court Special Trial-At-Bar on 12 January unanimously sentenced former Welikada Magazine Prison Superintendent Emil Ranjan Lamahewage to death, over the case filed regarding the 2012 Welikada Prison incident which claimed the lives of prisoners, while fellow accused party Rangajeewa was acquitted. On 9 and 10 November 2012, 27 prisoners were killed and approximately 50 were injured within the Welikada Prison Complex. However, the AG had filed the case about only eight who were killed, according to the evidence that was available. The Committee of Inquiry into the Prison Incident Welikada – 2012, appointed in 2015, recommended that then Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former State Intelligence Services and Terrorism Investigations Division Head and Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Chandra Nimal Wakishta, former Prisons Intelligence Unit Jailor and Officer-In-Charge Indika Sampath, former Prisons Commissioner General Pradeep W. Kodippili, former Army Brigadier Shantha Dissanayake, and Lamahewage, be charged under Section 162 of the Penal Code (public officer disobeying a direction of the law with intent to cause injury to any persons or the Government). Investigation reports by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) show that Rangajeewa, along with two others, had entered the Welikada Prison on the night of the incident, dressed in civil clothes, and had taken a group of detainees to another location. The CID said that eight of the detainees had been shot dead.

Kapruka

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


More News..