Wednesday Jul 08, 2026
Wednesday Jul 08, 2026
Tuesday, 7 July 2026 04:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
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| Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara |
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara yesterday visited Negombo Prison following the violent clashes, expressing deep shock over the loss of lives and saying he accepts responsibility as the Prison falls under his purview.
“This is an institution under my purview; hence, I take responsibility,” Nanayakkara told journalists, stressing that urgent action must be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur.
The Minister said the unrest had been brought under control, but stressed that the loss of any life could not be justified and that authorities must take steps to prevent a recurrence.
“There is deep shock over the loss of human lives. I extend my condolences to the families of the deceased. We must go to the site, investigate what happened, and ensure that such incidents do not happen again. This is not about blaming anyone,” he said.
He said the violence had erupted between two organised groups of inmates and that prison officials had intervened to restore order during the incident.
Nanayakkara said the immediate priority was to determine how the incident occurred, identify any shortcomings, and take swift corrective action.
“Instead of regret alone, we must understand how this happened, where the issue lies, and whether anyone acted improperly. We need to ensure these incidents do not recur,” he said.
The Minister added that while such incidents may occur, they cannot be justified or treated lightly, particularly when lives have been lost, and said further investigations were essential.
