The Negombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered notices to be issued to 20 people, including the chief jailer and prison officers, to appear for an identification parade in connection with the deaths of 32 people during a clash at Negombo Prison.

The order was issued when the case relating to the prison unrest was taken up before Negombo Chief Magistrate Shilani Perera on Friday (28).The 20 individuals have been ordered to appear before the Negombo court on Sept. 8 for the identification parade.The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had named 70 suspects in connection with the case during the previous hearing. Suspects No. 1 to 6 were scheduled to be presented for identification on Friday (28).However, two of the suspects were not produced due to health reasons and another court proceeding. The CID produced four suspects and four witnesses before the court for the identification parade.The four witnesses identified the suspects during the parade, according to the CID.The CID also informed the court that statements had so far been recorded from more than 2,100 people in connection with the incident, with further statements still to be obtained.The clash between two groups of inmates at Negombo Prison on July 5 and 6 resulted in the deaths of 10 prison officers and 22 inmates, while more than 100 others were injured.