Chief Inspector Neomal Rangajeewa, who was previously named as a main suspect but later acquitted by the courts in the notorious Welikada Prison Massacre case, has been reassigned from the Special Task Force (STF) to regular police duties. Rangajeewa had been deployed to the STF under a special duties order during the tenure of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennekoon.
According to Police RTM 168, issued by Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya, Rangajeewa has now been released from the STF and reassigned to duties at the Field Force Headquarters. Three Police Sergeants and one Police Constable who were also assigned to the STF alongside Rangajeewa have been released from their duties. Of these officers, two have been reassigned to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), while the other two have been transferred to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
Despite his acquittal in the Welikada massacre case, the reassignment of Rangajeewa and the other officers comes amid continued public scrutiny of his controversial career.
In November 2018, families of the victims raised concerns when Rangajeewa was reinstated to his position at the PNB during the controversial 52-day Government led by the then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
This reinstatement occurred while Rangajeewa was on bail and the case against him in connection with the 2012 Welikada prison killings was ongoing. The move attracted widespread criticism, particularly as Rangajeewa later also received a promotion despite the pending decision in the case, a departure from standard practice.
During court proceedings, eyewitnesses placed Chief Inspector Neomal Rangajeewa at the scene of the crime inside the Welikada Prison on November 9, 2012. It was also alleged in court that Rangajeewa had threatened several witnesses and their families.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) accused Rangajeewa of illegally entering the prison, selecting specific prisoners, and calling them out by name before they were killed which led to his arrest in March 2018 after then-Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara ordered a fresh investigation into the case.
The Welikada Prison killings resulted in the deaths of 27 prisoners following a riot that broke out as inmates resisted a sudden raid by the Special Task Force (STF) and commando soldiers.
The massacre remains one of Sri Lanka’s most controversial incidents, with ongoing demands for justice from victims’ families and human rights advocates.
