The Wattala Magistrate today ordered the four-member panel to conduct postmortem on 11 inmates who were killed in the Mahara prison riots and submit its report to courts.

The Attorney General’s (AG) Department previously made an application at the Magistrate’s Court for the appointment of a four-member panel of experts to conduct the post-mortem. The AG's Department said the panel will comprise three Senior Judicial Medical Officers and a ballistic expert from the Government Analyst’s Department.

Eight of the 11 inmates who died in the riot posthumously tested positive for COVID19 and the Police previously said a court order was needed to conduct a post-mortem invetsigation into these bodies.

The police and the prison authorities said they were killed in a shootout that occurred while some inmates attempted to escape the prison during the riots.

The post-mortem, analysts say, will provide vital information with regard to the corcumstances leading to the deaths of these prisoners.