5 PRISONERS 2 GUARDS KILLED IN DAYLIGHT SHOOTING

„They were on their way to the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court „The path of the Black Maria was blocked before the gunmen opened fire

In a horrible daylight shooting, seven people including notorious underworld criminal Aruna Damith Udayanga Pathirana alias ‘Samayan’ and two prison guards were killed when gunmen opened fire at the Black Maria in which they were being transported from Malwatte Prison in Kalutara.

Police said the prisoners were being taken to the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court and that the yet unidentified group of gunmen fled the crime scene soon after their dastardly deed.

One of the prison guards died on admission to the Kalutara Base Hospital while the other died on admission to the Colombo National Hospital.

Police said according to eyewitnesses the path of the Black Maria was blocked by a open truck parked across the road.

The deceased prison guard S.R. Wijeratna was a resident of Wadduwa while the other S. Sannigam was a resident of Batticaloa. Police said the attackers appeared to have been well trained. The Black Maria driver Janith Dilanka said the attackers wore police uniforms and therefore he did not harbour any suspicion.

“They obstructed the road and opened fire no sooner the Black Maria stopped. A few of the gunmen entered the bus and continued firing at the inmates at close range,” he said.

Police said police personnel led by Kalutara DIG, Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and Mirihana Special Crimes Unit had been deployed to trace the suspects.

Meanwhile, Prison Reforms Minister D.M. Swaminathan said the Black Maria did not seem to have been provided suffecient security by the police and a separate investigation would be carried out by a three-member committee consisting of former Magistrate Rumi Mansoor, Former Additional Secretary to the Defence Minister, S. Medawewa and former DIG Gamini Navaratne.

Investigations are also being carried out under the direction of the Senior DIG Nandana Munasinghe.