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Prisoners, guards to face hearing on Jan 12 over woman’s death
Police are probing a case of negligence by prison guards and three prisoners that led to the death of a 72-year-old woman killed when a branch of a tree cut down by one of the prisoners crashed onto her.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ruwan Gunsekara said police have taken statements from the guards and prisoners involved in the incident.
Mrs. Lalitha Chandra de Silva had been travelling with her husband on a motorcycle along Baseline Road in Borella, when the branch of the tree fell on her. The incident occurred in front of the official residence of the Commissioner-General of Prisons.
Prison guards and prisoners had been cleaning the surroundings of the Commissioner-General’s official living quarters when the incident occurred.
Some had been chopping down tree branches while others were apparently managing traffic in the area, preventing vehicles from passing through the area.
Mrs. De Silva, a resident of Weluwana Road in Dematagoda. received severe injuries to her head and died soon after being admitted to the Colombo National Hospital.
The hospital’s police unit asked the Borella Police station to investigate the incident and Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris ordered a postmortem and instructed police to produce witnesses to court on January 12.
The police spokesman said if Mrs. de Silva’s death was found to have been caused by negligence by prison personnel those found guilty would be penalised under section 298 of the Penal Code which states that whoever causes the death of any person by any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide would be punished with imprisonment for up to five years, or fined, or both.
ASP Gunsekara said the investigation would also look into whether prison personnel had taken adequate precautions in averting any danger to road traffic.
If they had failed to do so, they would be charged not only for negligence but also handling traffic, failure to inform police regarding their activity and other related offences.
He said the guards should have taken adequate measures in securing the area with the support of the police and taken greater care.
The police and other relevant authorities should be notified of any similar activity planned by any public or private sector establishments, he added.