An interim report on last week’s unrest in the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre which led to the death of one inmate was handed over to Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa yesterday.
Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Major General Darshana Hettiarachchi said a detailed report will be handed over to the Minister by Monday. Rajapaksa has said he will appoint a five- member committee to probe the incident after studying the report.
Nearly 700 inmates escaped from the Centre after a riot broke out following the death of the inmate on the 29th of last month. There are close to 1000 inmates at Kandakadu which is rehabilitation centre for drug addiction.
The incident was sparked following an exchange of words between an instructor at the Centre and an inmate over the possession of tobacco. Meanwhile, a police media release said that four members of the armed forces have been arrested in connection with the death of the inmate.
The suspects are two air force officers aged 35 and 36 from Kottawapitya and Nawalapitiya, a 37- year old army officer from Hoorigaswewa and a 39 -year old staff sergeant from Galnawa. They are assistant instructors at the Centre.
The four suspects were arrested on the 1st of July. They will be produced in the Polonaruwa Magistrates Court today.
The Welikanda police who have been conducting inquiries have recorded statements from the inmates and instructors at the Centre. They have recovered a thick electricity cable and two bamboo shafts which are alleged to have been used to beat the inmate.
The dead inmate, reportedly a 36 year old from Mutuwal in Colombo, was identified by his younger brother and friends. The postmortem is scheduled for the 5th of July.
Police have arrested and remanded 679 inmates who escaped from the Centre. Two inmates who are to be produced in Court are in police custody.The police and military are conducting operations to arrest 44 more inmates.
Members of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission which has also started its investigation into the incident visited the Centre on Thursday.
Until 2013, Kandakadu used to be a centre for the rehabilitation of LTTE combatants.
