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by Ananda Kannangara

Retired Commissioner of Prisons C. T. Jansz giving evidence at the Presidential Truth Commission (PTC) on Wednesday said that killing 35 Tamil prisoners inside the Welikada Prison on July 25, 1983 is the most gruesome incident experienced in this country during the 1983 terror period.

"Storming into the prison cell in the early hours of July 23, 1983 by fellow Sinhala prisoners is vehemently condemned and not accepted by any individual in a civil society and hope this nature of the incident will never occur in this land in the future", he said.

The PTC on 1983 Ethnic Violence resumed its sittings on Tuesday at the BMICH where the retired Commissioner of Prisons C. T. Jansz delivered presentations. The commission was presided over by retired Chief Justice S. Sharvanandan, Presidential Council, M. M. Zuhair and Presidential Council S. S. Sahabandu.

He said "at the time of this incident I was the Acting Prison Commissioner as the permanent Prison Commissioner Mr. Delgoda was out of the country. Therefore, I took immediate action to safeguard the lives of other prisoners. Accordingly, the lives of about 28 prisoners were saved and later they were transferred to another building called the "Youthful Offenders Building."

"Soon after the incident the matter was brought to the notice of the then President J. R. Jayewardene, so that he directed the relevant law enforcement officers to protect the remaining prisoners and take action against wrongdoers".

At this juncture when the counsel inquired whether the Police was summoned at the time of this incident, Mr. Jansz said that no police personnel were allowed inside the prison premises according to the prison ordinance.

"However, when we informed the Army, they came inside the prison and brought the situation under control".

"Then, at the same time I called the Prison Medical Officer Dr. Perimpanayagam and he examined the bodies and certified them as dead".

"After the examination the doctor said that the heads of several prisoners were seriously damaged".

"After a few minutes of the incident I saw army personnel loading the dead bodies of prisoners into a truck and later they were taken to the hospital morgue".

"When the Counsel asked whether an inquiry was held after the incident, Mr. Jansz said that an inquiry was conducted after the arrival of Mr. Delgoda.

The Commission was put off for Thursday.

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