Thangadurai, Kuttimani, Devan, Sivapatham and Nadesudasan were kept at Welikada Prison whilst their appeal was waiting to be heard by the Supreme Court. On the night of 24 July 1983 an anti-Tamil riot started in Colombo. The following day the riot spread to Welikada Prison, Sinhalese prisoners attacked Tamil prisoners using knives and clubs, killing 39. Amongst the victims were Thangadurai and Kuttimani. Survivors reported that the pair were forced to kneel whilst their eyes were gouged out with iron bars (an allusion to Kutimani's statement in court) and that one of the attackers cut out Kutimani's tongue and drank his blood, crying "I have drunk the blood of a Tiger". Survivors also claimed that the prison officers allowed their keys to fall into the hand of the Sinhalese prisoners.