Inquiry into prisoners' deaths put off

By Jayampathy Jayasinghe

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The magisterial inquiry into the deaths of six hard core prisoners who were shot dead while attempting to escape from custody at the Kuruwita prison has been postponed owing to relatives not coming forward to identify and claim the bodies, now at the Ratnapura morgue.

SSP Ratnapura Police Division, Kithsiri Ganegama said the magisterial inquiry will be conducted following the identification of the dead bodies by his relatives. He said the police have begun a search for his relatives and several messages have been sent to the police stations where the victims had resided.

Kuruwita Prison authorities said six prisoners were shot dead at the Kuruwita prison premises after they were brought from the Avissawella and Ruwanwella Magistrate's Courts last week. Meanwhile, police are looking for a hard core prisoner who escaped with a T-56 firearm.