[Kalutara, December 31] – Highlighting yet another serious concern regarding the safety of suspects held in state custody under the protection of prison officials, a remand prisoner receiving treatment at the Kalutara Nagoda Teaching Hospital was shot in the morning of December 31.
The victim injured in the shooting has been identified as Narayanage Dilip Chathuranga, a resident of Rajawatta, Kalutara, who was in remand custody facing drug-related charges.
According to reports, the shooting was carried out by an unidentified gunman who entered from outside and fled the scene while the suspect was receiving treatment in Ward No. 14 of the Nagoda Hospital around 6:05 AM.
From the perspective of human rights and the rule of law, the most critical issue is that the suspect was shot while under the protection of a prison officer and while shackled. The fact that an unarmed suspect in state custody was forced to face such a security threat within a government hospital can be regarded as a breakdown in prison security protocols.
Furthermore, it has been revealed that the suspect was hospitalised following an assault by another group of inmates at the Kalutara Jawatta Prison on the 29th. This chain of events—being assaulted within the prison and subsequently shot at the hospital—demonstrates a failure by the authorities to ensure the safety of the suspect’s life.
Prison sources indicate that the gunman threatened the prison guard before jumping over the hospital wall to make his escape.
While combating crime is essential, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of a suspect who is in state custody and subject to judicial proceedings. The recurrence of such incidents within prisons and hospitals constitutes a threat to the rule of law.