The Wattala Magistrate’s Court today (08) ordered the five-member experts’ committee to conduct post-mortem examinations on the 11 inmates who died in the Mahara Prison riot and to submit the report to the court.
Approval was also granted to transport their remains to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Mulleriyawa for the post-mortems.
During today’s proceedings of the legal action pertaining to the recent unrest at Mahara Prison, the list of appointees to the experts’ committee, recommended by the Attorney General’s Department to conduct the post-mortems, was submitted to the magistrate.
State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne told the court that the panel would comprise the following members:
• Dr Sandun Wijewardena – Chief Judicial Medical Officer (JMO), Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama
• Dr S.D.C Perera – JMO, Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mulleriyawa
• Dr P.P. Dassanayake – Chief JMO, Colombo South Teaching Hospital in Kalubowila
• Jean Perera – Professor, Faculty of Medicine at University of Colombo
• P.G. Madwala – Firearms Specialist & Deputy Government Analyst
The magistrate subsequently approved the list of committee members and the submission made by the State Counsel to re-conduct the post-mortems on four of the deceased inmates.
Accordingly, approval was also granted to the State Counsel’s request to allow a separate confidential report to be called from the firearms expert in the committee.
The Attorney General Department’s request to bring the remains of the inmates to the IDH from the Colombo North Teaching Hospital was also given the nod.
The court also granted permission to summon the government’s assessor to conduct an on-site inspection at the Mahara Prison.
State Counsel meanwhile told the court that the Attorney General has given instructions to investigate any possible conspiracy behind the incident, its masterminds, the involvement of outsiders, those who ordered the shooting or if the shooting is justifiable and whether it exceeded personal security.
When the legal action was taken up yesterday (08), the Attorney General’s Department had requested the magistrate to permit the post-mortems of the deceased inmates to be carried out under a multidisciplinary committee, as per a request made by the legal counsel of the aggravated party requested for a fair autopsy.
State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne had appeared before the court on behalf of the Attorney General’s Department following a request made by DIG Ajith Rohana for the assistance of a State Counsel to proceed with the case.
Among the 11 inmates who died in the riot, 08 had tested positive for coronavirus posthumously, however, their final rites were delayed as the post-mortems were not concluded.
DIG Ajith Rohana recently stated that a court order is required for a post-mortem examination to be carried out on these deceased inmates and that the court order will depend on the ongoing inquiry into the riot incident.
