Man jailed over phone ringing in courtroom dies in custody; Family alleges murder

A man who was imprisoned for 14 days after his mobile phone rang inside the Embilipitiya Magistrate’s Court has died while in custody under controversial circumstances, prompting allegations from his family and triggering investigations by prison authorities.

The individual, who had reportedly arrived at the court premises to post bail in a case filed over traffic violations, was detained for allegedly violating the decorum of the courtroom when his phone rang during proceedings. 

Prison authorities claim he died of a sudden illness while in custody. However, his relatives have accused prison officials of assaulting him, alleging that the post-mortem examination had revealed that the deceased suffered brain damage from a blow to the head with a blunt object and internal bleeding caused by an injury to the left side of his chest.

Prisons Media Spokesperson Gamini B. Dissanayake said that a full internal investigation is underway into the incident, in addition to a police inquiry.