Mahara Prison riot: Police reveal inmates consumed 21,000 tablets from Prison dispensary

Mahara Prison riot: Police reveal inmates consumed 21,000 tablets from Prison dispensary

The unrest reported at the Mahara Prison on Sunday evening (29) was caused by inmates remanded over drug offences, the Police said.

Police Spokesman, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ajith Rohana told reporters that nearly 21,000 tablets used for mental illnesses and hypnosis at the prison dispensary had been consumed by some prisoners.

These prisoners had thereafter caused the unrest at the prison. Some inmates who had consumed the medicine and were injured in the unrest are still behaving in an unruly manner at the Colombo North Teaching hospital in Ragama.

DIG Ajith Rohana said an investigation is to be launched to ascertain as to why such a large number of tablets were brought to the prison medical unit.

Nearly 187 inmates of the Mahara prison have been transferred to the Colombo Remand Prison and are Kept in a separate Unit, following the unrest.

He further said that preliminary investigations into the unrest have revealed that a doctor attached to the prison was involved in the incident.

Meanwhile, one more inmate from the Mahara prison died while receiving treatment at the Ragama hospital this morning, increasing the death toll in the unrest to nine (09).

Hospital sources said that 106 inmates and two prison guards are receiving treatment at the Ragama hospital at present.

Among the admitted inmates, 38 have tested positive for COVID-19, they said.