Sri Lanka's prison chief arrested over 2012 jail riot

Sri Lankan Police on Thursday arrested the country's prison chief Emil Ranjan Lamahewa over a massacre of 27 inmates during a jail riot in 2012.

Lamahewa was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department from his residence in Colombo, Police Spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

On Wednesday, an inspector attached to the Police Narcotics Bureau was also arrested over the prison riot.

The riot at the highly-guarded Welikada Prison in Colombo broke out on November 9, 2012, during a search for illegal arms within the prison premises.

The riot had left 27 inmates dead and 40 injured.

The Sri Lankan government led by President Maithripala Sirisena had appointed a committee to investigate the riot and a report was compiled on the incident.

The 2012 massacre was the worst prison violence in the country since 50 inmates were hacked to death in a 1983 riot.

--IANS

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