Victims of 2012 Welikada prison riots to be compensated

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to compensate 37 victims of the Welikada prison riots in 2012. 

Cabinet spokesman Dr Rajitha Senaratne said that a sum of Rs 2 million will be granted to the families of each inmate who died during the incident while the inmates who were injured in the riots will be granted Rs 500,000.  

At least 27 inmates died and several others injured in clashes between inmates and guards on 9 November, 2012. 

Several guards and STF officers were also injured during the clash which resulted in damages to prison properties.  

The violence began when prisoners rounded on hundreds of police commandos who had entered the jail searching for drugs and smuggled mobile phones. 

Inmates seized weapons from the prison’s weapon store during the confrontation and were later seen waving rifles from the roof of a prison building.