Kerala Man Killed in Sri Lanka Prison Riot Buried Under Police Protection
Colombo: A 73-year-old Indian national who was killed during a deadly prison riot in Sri Lanka’s Negombo town in July has been laid to rest under special police protection, authorities said.
The victim, identified as Unnikrishnan S, was originally from Kerala but had reportedly been living with his family in Chennai for more than four decades.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed the Negombo Magistrate’s Court that Unnikrishnan’s burial took place on September 2, following a court order and with the expenses covered by the Sri Lankan government. Officials from the Indian High Commission in Colombo were also present during the burial.
According to media reports, Unnikrishnan had travelled to Sri Lanka on March 2. He was later arrested on allegations of possessing ganja and was remanded at Negombo Prison.
His life came to a tragic end during violent clashes between inmates on July 5 and 6. The riot reportedly erupted amid tensions between rival inmate groups over drugs and quickly escalated into deadly violence.
The CID also told the court that the clothes and footwear Unnikrishnan was wearing when he died had been submitted to the court for forensic examination.
The case is part of a wider investigation into one of Sri Lanka’s deadliest prison riots in recent years. Twenty-two inmates and 10 prison officials were killed, while around 100 others were injured in the violence.
An identification parade involving five suspects was held on Tuesday, while another 11 suspects are expected to participate in a similar procedure on September 10. Authorities said 81 suspects are expected to face trial in connection with the riot.
Officials had previously said that severe overcrowding inside the prison made it difficult for authorities to control the situation once the clashes began.
For Unnikrishnan’s family, however, the official investigation comes after a deeply painful loss. What began as a trip to Sri Lanka ended with the death of a 73-year-old man thousands of kilometres away from the home where he had spent most of his life.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
