she denied that she had made this statement. Ekanayake reluctantly did and the Italian government demanded that he be handed over to them. Public opinion in Sri Lanka opposed this move; some in Sri Lanka even deemed Ekanayake a hero. Eventually he was arrested in Galle and sent to Welikada Prison. Sri Lanka would try him in their courts. Anna and Free returned safely . Ekanayake was involved in the 1983 Prison Massacre of Tamil inmates in Sri Lanka and several then inmates of the Welikada Prison including Prof Nithyanandan have confirmed the involvement of Ekanayake in this incident on several occasions. References First Sri Lankan to Hijack an Aircraft 1949 births Living people Sri Lankan prisoners and detainees Sri Lankan criminals Prisoners and detainees of Sri Lanka Hijackers Sri Lankan emigrants to Italy Sri Lankan emigrants to Germany