The condition of a prisoner in the New Magazine Remand Prison, who launched a fast unto death on Friday had deteriorated badly by yesterday morning, sources said.

K. M. Prasanna Bandara, a disabled ex Naval cadre and former heavy weight boxer launched his fast , in protest against the treatment meted out to him.

He said he had been instrumental in the Police arresting and successfully prosecuting the accused in the murder of a woman soldier Inoka Sevvendi a few years ago. However, he was subsequently falsely implicated in a sexual abuse case and made to spend the last two and a half years in the remand prison. He alleged that he was not even properly treated by the prison hospital and had already complained about this to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and high ranking prison officials.

When contacted, Superintendent of Prisons Shelton Boteju said that he was aware of the presence of this remandee but was unaware that he was observing a fast unto death.

On hearing that the news had leaked to the media, a certain high ranking prison official had visited the remandee on Monday evening and allegedly threatened that unless he gave up the fast immediately he would be locked up in a dark room and left to die, his relations charged.