Welikada killings: Prisons Chief sentenced to death, IP acquitted

By A.J.A. Abeynayake

Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar yesterday (12) sentenced to death ex-Welikada Prisons Chief Lamahewage Emil Ranjan for the killing of eight inmates on 09 and 10 Nov. 2012. He was the second accused in the high-profile case that had attracted international attention.

The Trial-at-Bar bench consisting of High Court judges Gihan Kulathunga (President), Pradeep Hettiarachchi and Manjula Thilakarathna unanimously convicted Emil Ranjan. The first accused Inspector of Police Neomal Moses Rangajeewa of Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) was acquitted and released. The Trial-at-Bar said that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against the PNB officer beyond reasonable doubt

The judges said there was evidence that on the day of the incident, Emil Ranjan and an Army Major took one of the slain persons identified as “konde Amila’ to the rear section of the prison.

The High Court Judges read out the sentence ordering Lamahewage Emil Ranjan to be taken to the Welikada Prison.

The Attorney General filed indictments against IP Rangajeewa, Lamahewage Emil Ranjan and Indika Sampath, an officer attached to the Prisons intelligence unit over the Welikada Prison Riot under 33 counts including murder, conspiring to commit murder and unlawful assembly.

The court decided to proceed with the trial in the absentia of the third accused Indika Sampath, who has been absconding court since the inception of the CID investigations.

Cases were filed against the killing of only eight prison inmates for want of evidence in the case of other deaths.  The eight victims were Kankanmalage Malinda Nilendra Pelpola alias Malan , Attapattu Sangakkara Nirmala Atapattu, Mohammed Wijaya rohana alias Gundu, Chinthamani Mohottige Thushara Chandana alias Kalu Thushara, Asarappulige Jothipala alias Ponna Kapila, Harshan Sri Manakeerthi Perera alias Manju sri , Raigamage Susantha Perera alias Mala Susantha, Devamullage Malith Sameera Perera alias Konda Amila.

The Trial-at-Bar said that investigations had been delayed and the investigating officers reluctant to establish the truth. However, investigations have been stepped up after 2017, the judges said.

The killings took place during an operation carried out by the Special Task Force within the prison without taking approval.