The inmates at the Boossa Prison have called off the hunger strike.
The 45 notorious high-profile inmates including Kanjipani Imran, Wele Suda, Podi Lassie and Niro launched the hunger strike based on several demands on Thursday (10) morning.
******************************************************
Boossa Prison strike gang dwindles (01:02)
Buddhika Imbulana
Prisons sources yesterday said the number of inmates engaged in a hunger strike at the Boossa Prison dropped to 20 from 45 by yesterday evening.
Only twenty inmates at the prison are engaged in strike for the fourth consecutive day yesterday. Initially, 45 notorious high-profile inmates including Kanjipani Imran, Wele Suda, Podi Lassie and Niro launched the hunger strike based on several demands on Thursday (10) morning.
Discontinuing the telephone facility provided during the COVID-19 outbreak, checking of attorneys when entering the prison to meet inmates and the search operations being carried out by the Special Task Force (STF) within the prison were the major causes for their protest.
However, inmates Potta Naufer, Army Sampath and Pitigala Kevuma did not engage in the the strike.
Meanwhile,notorious underworld figure Kanjipani Imran was transferred to the Navy Hospital in Boossa due to a sudden illness while engaging in the strike on Friday. But, later he was brought back to Prison as his health condition was not found serious following several medical tests.
Prisons Commissioner Chandana Ekanayake said the demands of the protestors are unreasonable and therefore cannot be fulfilled. But, he said one of their demands is seeking permission to meet their children within the prison premises and this could be addressed in future. Ekanayake said it is ridiculous that they are demanding not to check attorneys at the entrance to the prison as any individual entering the prison is checked regardless of their status anytime.
