[1][2][3] After the Welikada prison massacre, Tamil political inmates were transferred to Batticaloa.
Since they were not co-operating with the police they were told by the prison guards that they were to be transferred back to a Sinhalese area.
Fearing death, 41 Tamil political inmates decided to escape.
Prominent political escapees include Ramalingam Paramadeva, Panagoda Maheswaran, Douglas Devananda and few Tamil Tiger sympathisers.
The escapees left behind some female political inmates, who were rescued by Ramalingam Paramadeva of the Tamil Tigers in 1984 Batticaloa Jailbreak.