Death sentence for ex-Superintendent in 2012 Welikada prison riot case

• 3-member bench hands down death sentence to Emil Ranjan but acquits ex-IP Rangajeewa
• The men were charged with the killing of 8 prisoners during unrest inside the prison

By Chandani Kirinde

A Colombo High Court trial-at-Bar yesterday sentenced to death the former Superintendent of the Magazine Prison Emil Ranjan Lamahewa over the killing of eight inmates inside the Welikada prison in 2012.

Lamahewa was found guilty of one of the four charges filed against him by the three-member bench.

The bench comprised High Court judges Gihan Kulatunga (President), Pradeep Hettiarachchi and Manjula Tilakaratne.

Former Inspector of Police Neomal Rangajeewa who was also charged in the case was acquitted and freed of all charges.

Indictments were filed in July 2019 by the Attorney General’s Department against Rangajeewa, Lamahewa and Indika Sampath, an officer attached to the intelligence unit of the prison. They faced charges including murder and conspiring to commit murder.

Sampath was tried in absentia as he has been absconding and is believed to be overseas. Although 27 prisoners were killed in the prison incident on 9 November 2012, evidence was presented in connection to the killing of eight of the prisoners.