Autopsy findings presented to the Negombo Magistrate’s Court have revealed that 17 of the 28 people who died in the unrest at Negombo Prison were killed by gunshot injuries, while 11 others died from assaults involving blunt weapons.
According to NewsFirst, the post-mortem data was submitted to court as part of the ongoing judicial inquiry into the deaths, providing the clearest official account so far of how the victims were killed during the violence at the facility.
The breakdown is likely to intensify scrutiny of the force used to quell the disturbance. Questions over the circumstances of the 28 deaths have persisted since the incident, with rights groups and opposition figures calling for a transparent, independent investigation into what unfolded inside the prison.
The unrest at Negombo Prison was among the deadliest such incidents in Sri Lanka’s recent history. In the aftermath, the government announced compensation for victims’ families, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met prison officials over the crisis, and posthumous promotions were granted to prison officers who died. An opposition no-confidence motion was also brought against the Justice Minister over the handling of the prison system.
Court proceedings are continuing, with further evidence expected as investigators work to establish accountability for the deaths. The magistrate’s examination of the autopsy reports forms a central part of efforts to determine exactly how each victim died and who bears responsibility.
