The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed the Negombo Magistrate’s Court that the body of Umnithan Sarath Chandra—an Indian national who died during the Negombo Prison clashes on July 5 and 6—was buried under special security on September 2, 2026, at the Mannyaokkahena Public Cemetery under the Negombo Municipal Council. The burial was carried out in accordance with a court order and through the intervention of the High Commission of India.
The CID presented these facts when the case regarding the Negombo Prison clash was taken up before Negombo Chief Magistrate Shilani Perera on September 8, 2026. CID officials further stated that the deceased inmate’s clothes and pair of footwear were submitted to court as case productions to be sent for a Government Analyst report. They also informed the court that the funeral expenses were borne by the state.
The Negombo Magistrate’s Court had previously issued an order to the Mayor of the Negombo Municipal Council on August 28 regarding the burial of the Indian national’s body.
During the court hearing on August 28, a team of CID officers submitted a detailed report regarding the ongoing investigations into the incident. The CID officers informed the court that although efforts were made to contact relatives to identify the body, the High Commission of India sent an email on August 25 stating that the deceased Indian national had no living relatives. Submitting this email to the court, the officers requested an order directing the Judicial Medical Officer of Negombo to conduct the post-mortem examination.
Furthermore, the CID requested the court to issue an order to bury the body at the Negombo Public Cemetery at government expense under the supervision of the Mayor of the Negombo Municipal Council, and to direct the Mayor to submit a report on the burial location to the CID and the court.
The clashes that erupted at the Negombo Prison on July 5 and 6 resulted in the deaths of 10 prison officers and 22 inmates, while over 100 others sustained injuries.
Reported by: Tushara Rohan Fernando
