Serious concerns have emerged following the death of a remand prisoner, who was in custody at the Angunukolapelessa Prison after being charged with contempt of court for possessing a mobile phone.
The deceased has been identified as 45-year-old Weerasekara Arachchige Asanka Indunil, a married father of one from New Town, Embilipitiya. According to family members, Asanka had visited the Embilipitiya Magistrate’s Court on April 30, 2025, to post bail for a friend involved in a traffic-related case. During court proceedings, his mobile phone reportedly rang, leading to his immediate arrest and a 14-day remand order for contempt of court.
Asanka was subsequently transferred to Angunukolapelessa Remand Prison. On May 2, prison officials stated that he was admitted to the Angunukolapelessa Hospital due to an unspecified infection. However, he was pronounced dead the following day, on May 3, 2025.
Relatives who attended the post-mortem claim that the attending doctor informed them of severe head injuries, along with internal bruising and scratch marks on the body, raising suspicions of physical assault while in custody. The family has demanded an impartial investigation, believing the injuries were not consistent with a simple infection.
In a further development, questions are being raised about security lapses at the Embilipitiya court premises. Asanka was allegedly able to bring both a mobile phone and a lighter into the courtroom, a violation of standard court security procedures. Critics argue that if police officers on duty had properly carried out their responsibilities, the incident that led to his arrest could have been avoided altogether.
This incident has sparked renewed calls for accountability and transparency within the prison system and the law enforcement bodies responsible for court security. Human rights activists have also expressed concern over the treatment of remand prisoners and the apparent escalation of minor infractions into fatal outcomes.
An official investigation is yet to be announced.
