Court permits naming of 24 more suspects over Negombo Prison clash
09-Aug-2026.
The Negombo Magistrate’s Court on August 7, permitted the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to name 24 more individuals as suspects in connection with the two-day clash at Negombo Prison, in which 32 people, including 10 prison officers, were killed.
With this development, a total of 62 individuals have so far been named as suspects in connection with the incident.
Negombo Magistrate Shilani Perera ordered that all 62 suspects be remanded until August 21.
During clashes between two groups at Negombo Prison on July 5 and 6, 10 prison officers and 22 inmates were killed, while more than 100 people were injured.
When the case was taken up yesterday, CID officers submitted a further report to court regarding their investigations.
Investigating officers informed court that 38 individuals had already been named as suspects in connection with the incident and that they had now identified a further 24 suspects who were present at the prison on the day of the incident.
The officers sought permission to name the additional 24 individuals as suspects.
For security reasons, the names of the newly named suspects were not read out in open court. Their list of names and the ‘B’ report were handed directly to the Magistrate.
The 38 suspects previously named, including Kuruppuarachchilage Suresh Pushpakumara, also known as “Katuwellegama Suresh”, were brought before court yesterday from Boosa and Pallansena prisons.
CID Sub-Inspector Madhuranga, making further submissions, told court that prison officials and inmates who were present at the facility on the day of the clash were capable of identifying the suspects.
He therefore requested permission to present the suspects in an identification parade.
The 38 suspects who had already been named were subsequently produced for an identification parade from Boosa and Pallansena prisons.
Sub-Inspector Madhuranga also requested the court to direct prison authorities to produce at the next hearing those suspects who are identified during the parade.
After considering the submissions, the Magistrate ordered that the identification parade be postponed until August 21, as prison officers and inmates who were injured in the incident and are witnesses continue to receive treatment in hospital.
The Magistrate also directed prison authorities to produce all 62 suspects, including the newly named 24 suspects, before court on that date and ordered that they remain in remand custody until then.
The CID informed court that legal action would be instituted against the suspects in connection with the incident under provisions relating to culpable homicide, the Public Property Act, the Firearms Ordinance and Sections 102, 113, 146, 186, 300, 315, 316, 317 and 344 of the Penal Code.
A team of CID officers led by ASP Chandana Kaluarachchi of Commercial Crime Investigation Division 1, including Chief Inspector Karunaratne and Sub-Inspectors Dulith Madhuranga and Anil Asela, submitted the further report to court on August 7.
