Prisoner in quarantine dies in escape attempt at Kandy Bogambara prison

One prisoner was killed in Bogambara prison in Kandy last night. Five prisoners tried to escape and another prisoner was injured while one escaped, Prisons Commissioner-General Thushara Upuldeniya said. Prison officers have arrested two escapees, he said.

The deceased is identified as 30-year-old Abdul Raheem of Anuradhapura. He had succumbed to the injuries sustained due to the fall from the top of the prison wall, the Prisons Commissioner-General said. The other prisoner also sustained injuries due to fall, the official said. 

However, our studies on Sri Lanka's prisons indicate the prevalence of torture and brutality especially against the prisoners who attempt to escape. The incidents of prisoner deaths must be fairly investigated.

Update: The escaped prisoner was later arrested

Bogambara prison has been converted to a quarantine centre for the prisoners and over 400 prisoners undergo quarantine there. 

Over 500 prisoners in Sri Lanka are COVID-19 positive now. 

Bogambara prison and the land of five acres belonged to it in the heart of Kandy city was emptied from prisoners and the venue was transformed into a cultural and tourism centre named “Bogambara Cultural Park” by the previous government in 2019. 

According to Attractions in Sri Lanka website, "The Bogambara Prison was the second largest prison in Sri Lanka, the first being the Welikada Prison in Colombo. It was built by the British Ceylon Government in the year 1876. The prison complex has gallows and was one of the two prisons in Sri Lanka where the death penalty was implemented. The prison was closed down in 2014 and the building is open for public viewing as a historic monument. It is one of the oldest existing buildings in Kandy and located in Bogambara."