A Sri Lankan probe panel investigating the last month’s prison riot in which 11 inmates were killed has concluded that the prisoners staged the protest in fear of contracting the deadly coronavirus, an official said on Saturday.
The five-member probe committee’s interim report said that the riot at the Mahara prison on November 29 and 30 was caused by the protest staged to receive a quick solution to the COVID-19 issue.
Eleven inmates were killed in the protest. The government appointed the probe panel after pressure from the Opposition and the victims’ relatives.
“What was a protest had later developed into a major riot,” the committee said, adding that the divisions among inmates had also aggravated the clash due to deep running personal hatred as they belonged to different cliques and criminal gangs.
The committee observed that the inmates had violently involved in fisticuffs among them by using knives, clubs and swords found from within the prison premises. But none of the inmates had access to any fire arms.
Only the prison officials had guns and they used them, the probe committee said.