Sri Lanka prison riots: Indian national, 73, among 28 killed; torture allegations emerge
An Indian national was among the inmates killed in Sri Lanka's prison riots that began on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Colombo-based official sources identified the victim as Unnikrishnan S., aged 73 years.
The death toll from the riots rose to 28 on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, with one more prison officer succumbing to serious injuries. Over 100 people were injured in the violence, which is among the worst in the island's recent history.
The High Commission of India has not yet issued an official statement on the death. However, official sources in Colombo confirmed that a note verbale on the incident was sent from the Indian mission to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Indian nationals who were lodged at Negombo Prison were transferred to other facilities for their safety.
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka stated on Wednesday that it had received information about several inmates being subjected to torture and ill-treatment after transfer to other prisons, including Angunakolapelessa, Boosa, Batticaloa, Dumbara, Jaffna, and Welikada. It also reported a death of an inmate in the custody of Welikada prison officials.
The Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners, an activist network, flagged reports of assault and severe physical torture. The government has not yet responded to the allegations, but a senior official speaking on condition of anonymity said the authorities were taking the concerns seriously and investigating.
Sri Lankan authorities have maintained that the riots were triggered by a clash between rival gangs after inmates alerted prison authorities to a drug operation inside the facility. Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara acknowledged that Sri Lanka's prison system faces longstanding problems and urged all parties to work together to prevent such tragedies.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka said the tragedy must not be viewed as an isolated incident but as symptomatic of structural deficiencies within the prison system and the broader administration of criminal justice, underscoring that persons deprived of liberty do not forfeit their fundamental rights or dignity.
Sri Lanka's prisons have been grappling with chronic overcrowding and lack of resources. In 2020, a riot at Mahara prison left 11 inmates dead. A decade earlier, in 2012, police fatally shot 27 inmates during a riot at Colombo's Welikada Prison.
