COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Prisons Commissioner Emil Ranjan Lamahewa was sentenced to death by the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar over the 2021 Welikada Prison Massacre for the charge of murdering 8 prisoners.

Although he was released from four charges, he was found guilty of one charge and was sentenced to death.

Former Inspector Neomla Rangajeewa who was also charged was acquitted and released from all charges.

The case was filed by the Attorney General against former Inspector of Police of the Narcotics Bureau Neomal Rangajeewa, and former Prisons Commissioner Emil Ranjan Lamahewa for the killing of eight prisoners at the Welikada Prison.

A special three-judge bench comprising Justices Gihan Kulatunga, Pradeep Hettiarachchi and Manjula Tilakaratne delivered the verdict.

Indictments were filed on July 4th, 2019 against Neomal Rangajeewa and Emil Ranjan Lamahewa.

Although 27 prisoners were killed in the prison riots on November 9, 2012, evidence was only available on the killing of eight prisoners for the Attorney General to file the case.