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Kuruwita prison assault: Two inmates to give evidence

By Nalaka Nonis

Two prisoners at the Kuruwita Prison have come forward to give evidence on the alleged assault to Sunil Perera by prison guards there which led to his death according to relatives.

Justice and Judicial Reforms Ministry Secretary Suhada Gamlath told The Sunday Times the CID has been tasked to probe the matter and confirmed the willingness of two prisoners to give evidence on what took place inside the prison.

He said the case appears to be a criminal one and added that he has appointed an official in the Ministry to hand him a report on it.

The victim’s wife Chitra Perera said discussions are on with a group of human rights lawyers to take legal action against the perpetrators of the alleged attack.

She charged that similar incidents are happening in prisons in the country and said she wanted to fight against such brutal practices on behalf of innocent victims.

“What I’m trying now is to fight for others since this has been continuing to happen in prisons and many victims have been helpless when these things happen”, she said.

Dismissing reports that her husband died of a kidney failure she said her husband never had such a disease and maintained that brutal assault by prison guards contributed to her husband’s death.

Mrs. Perera also said that it is not only those who beat her husband who were responsible for the death but also other parties including the authorities of the Mihindu College in Ratnapura for recklessly and erroneously providing to police her husband’s mobile phone number.

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