A Keralite’s death in a prison riot in Sri Lanka leaves his home village searching for answers

Members of the Sri Lanka Prisons Emergency Action and Tactical Force remove national flags from the caskets containing the bodies of prison officials who died in clashes between two groups of inmates at Negombo Prison, after bodies were brought to Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 8, 2026. Photo credit: Reuters

News of Sarathchandran Unnithan’s death in a prison riot in Sri Lanka has barely reached his native village of Keezhcherimel near Chengannur in Alappuzha, Kerala, where many are unaware of the tragedy.

Even local police and authorities have little information about the 73-year-old man or the circumstances of his death. According to locals, it has been more than four decades since Unnithan and his family moved to Chennai and severed most of their ties with their ancestral village.

“We have had no connection with him or his family for decades. The only address we know is Fousiya Lodge, Stringer’s Street, Broadway, Chennai,” said one of his relatives in Chengannur.

An elderly relative, who declined to elaborate, said she barely remembers details about the family or their current whereabouts.

According to available information, Unnithan arrived in Sri Lanka on March 2 and was arrested for allegedly possessing ganja. He was later lodged in Negombo Prison where he died during the riots.

According to relatives, Unnithan moved permanently to Chennai after marrying a woman from Andhra Pradesh. He last visited his home village in 2018. One of his siblings continues to live in the village, although locals said he rarely kept in touch with the family. However, they said Unnithan was believed to have some connections in Thiruvananthapuram.

Published – 09 Jul 2026 12:28 IST