• Court directs inmates’ remains be moved to IDH for CT scans
• Expert panel ordered to re-examine remains of 4 inmates already subjected to post-mortems
• Calls for reports from ballistic analyst and Govt. Assessor 
• Court to rule on cremation of remains after expert panel report submitted 

By Asiri Fernando

The Wattala Magistrates Court yesterday ordered a five-member expert panel to carry out the post-mortem investigations on 11 deceased inmates of Mahara Prison and submit a confidential report to the Court. 

According to State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne, the Magistrate Court has directed the committee to re-examine the remains of four inmates who were killed during the Mahara Prison unrest that had been subjected to a post-mortem already. 

Following a request by the Attorney General’s Department (AG), the Court ordered that a decision on the cremation of the remains of the deceased due to COVID-19-related regulations will only be made after the Court has received the report from the expert panel. 

Following a request by the State Counsel, the Magistrate Court directed the Police and health authorities to transfer the remains of the 11 inmates to the IDH Hospital under guard and in compliance with COVID-19 regulations. The transfer to IDH is needed to conduct CT scans of the deceased in line with the requirements of the post-mortems, the State Counsel explained. 

The Court also called for a report by the Government ballistics expert into the incident and a report on the damages to the Mahara Prison by the Government Assessor. 

The five-member committee is made up of Prof. Jean Perera, nominated by the College of Forensic Pathologists of Sri Lanka; Deputy Government Analyst J.G Madawala, forensic ballistics expert nominated by the Government Analyst Department; and Dr. Sandun Jayawardana and Specialist Judicial Medical Officers (JMO) Dr. Channa Perera and Dr. P.P. Dissanayake.

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Autopsies needed before inmates bodies disposed, says Committee on Mahara Prison