The Attorney General’s Department has called for reports from the police and other relevant authorities on three remand prisoners – two former army soldiers and a civilian woman – incarcerated in the Jaffna prison, to ascertain whether the law has been fair by them, a top official said last week.

"We are looking into these three specific cases to find out whether justice has been done as the inmates continue to languish in jail", says Palitha Fernando, Additional Solicitor General (ASG).

The AG’s department has opened files on them and called for reports on their cases, he told The Sunday Island. "We are awaiting a feedback to initiate necessary action".

The intervention by ASG Fernando follows his visit to the Jaffna prison as a key member of the delegation led by Justice and Law Reforms Minister, Milinda Moragoda, recently.

"Take the case of the woman who is being held for the past three years after a claymore mine was found in the vicinity", he explained.

"What we need to find out is whether the place where this claymore was found was accessible to others", the ASG explained. "This has to be established first".

The second case relates to former soldier H. M. Chaminda Janaka Herath, a native of Anamaduwa, whose case has been dragging on for the past 15 years.

He is being held in connection with an alleged accidental blast of a grenade which killed two of his colleagues sleeping in the bunker at Pooneryn.

He told Minister Moragoda that he was interdicted by the army over the incident but three months ago – after a lapse of 15 years – he was directed to appear before the Mallakam Magistrate and remanded.

"I was not kept informed by the police of the subsequent developments of the case until I was asked to be present in court, which I did on my own and was remanded", he asserted.

He said that he has two small children, but his family has no way of visiting him in Jaffna. "My daughter is about to begin pre-school and there is nobody to look after my family".

The other ex-soldier, Chaminda Lakmal said he was arrested in connection with an alleged misfire of a gun. His arm, which was injured in the incident, became lifeless, but he has been denied medical treatment.

"They are insisting on my military medical card to offer me medical attention", he said. "I am suffering here".

"I will have these inmates discharged if the circumstances warrant it", ASG Fernando said. "We need positive action to overcome laws’ delays".

He said that he expected to finalize matters relating to these three cases by next week.

Moragoda also asked his Ministry Secretary Suhada Gamlath to explore the possibility of deporting five Indian nationals being held in the Jaffna prison for over-staying their visas.