Coronavirus scare triggers riot in Sri Lankan jail, 1 inmate killed
Colombo: The coronavirus scare triggered a riot in a Sri Lankan jail on Saturday, leading to a gunfight which left one inmate killed and five others injured, officials said.
According to prison rights activists, the prisoners were demanding their release due to the threat to their lives in view of COVID-19 which has infected 77 people in the country.
The protests led to a riot inside the jail situated in the north central town of Anuradhapura.
"There was unrest in the prison this afternoon following a protest by inmates. When the prison officials were countering the riot to bring it under control, there was an attempt by the inmates to flee the jail. The resultant shooting killed one while five others were injured," the police said in a statement.
The government denied that any inmate at Anuradhapura jail has tested positive.
The Sri Lankan government on Saturday announced the extending of the two-day curfew after five fresh coronavirus cases were reported, taking the total number of infected people to 77.
Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said that 245 more cases are under observation.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
