Illegality ---True Prisons Part 13

by Harshi C. Perera

(December 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Allawaladevage Sanath Kalhara is a 23 years old youth. He is married. On 29.07.2010 he was remanded. He was detained in the H ward at Galle prison. He was arrested by the police saying there was a warrant against him. While he was taking closer to the Balapitiya Muslim church he was tortured by the police.

There were 225 detainees at the H ward. But the space is enough for only 150 detainees. Over crowding is a severe problem. For all of them there are only three toilets. The officers force pre trial detainees to work. This is illegal according to the law.

There are many fraud things take place inside the prison. They make false bills saying the carpenters and merchants work. The bathing facilities are very limited. According to Sanath Kalhara if a detainee bath few extra buckets of water then he is assaulted by the prison staff.

The detainees are used to smoke cigars and ganja. The prison officers provide these drugs to the detainees who are inside. But if a detainee was caught while taking drugs he has to face assault by the prison staff. Sanath kalhara was detained in the same prison in an earlier occasion too. At that time he too was assaulted. He also had skin diseases.