By Rathindra Kuruwita
About 13 inmates of the Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre, who escaped on Sunday, were still at large, Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Maj. Gen. Darshana Hettiarachchi said.
Out of the escapees, 215 taken back into custody had been remanded till 17 November, he said. 14 inmates are in Pulathisipura and Serunuwara Police Stations. Four inmates, who were wounded during the clash, are still in hospital.
Hettiarachchi said addicts undergoing rehabilitation at Kandakadu had been sent there by courts of law.
“There have been clashes in the Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre from time to time. The recent clash was over a bucket of water. Some inmates are military deserters. These are the people who tried to break into the armoury. We had to shoot one of them. There are inmates who have tried to kill their mothers. There are armed robbers and those convicted of sexual assaults. We are dealing with people like that,” Hettiarachchi said.
“There were five ex-soldiers at the centre on Sunday, he said. They are those who tried to get hold of weapons.”
“Now, we have a lot of people who are addicted to Ice (methamphetamine). They are very violent. The first few months are a very difficult time for long-term addicts. There are people who try to kill themselves,” he said.
A large number of drug addicts being rehabilitated escaped from Kandakadu on Sunday night, following a clash between two groups of inmates. One group was from Colombo and the other from Galle.