torture prevalence in sri lanka - 2011 (part 02) by janasansadaya

8/3/2019 Torture Prevalence in Sri Lanka - 2011 (Part 02) By Janasansadaya

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2011/26

Assault by Prison Officers.

Kalutara Prison.

Nammuni Kankanamge ChampikaNilanthi isa 37 years oldmarriedmother

with three children and she resides in Katuvangoda road, Pothupitiya,

Wadduwa.

Her30 years old husbandnamed Hettikankanamge Chaminda Jayathilaka was

assaultedby Prison Officers attached to Kalutara Prison. After the incident,

when this was reported at courts, the Court ordered to transfer Jayathilaka to

Welikada Prison.

While he wasdetainedin Welikada Prison, on 23.04.2011, he wasbroughtback

to Kalutara Prisoninthenightandassaulted onceagain. She cameto know that

herhusband wastakenagainto Welikadaprison on 24.04.2011.

Hermotherwentto Welikadaprisonto see Jayathilaka on 26.04.2011. Hetold

herthat he was taken to Kalutara Prison on 23.04.2011,atnightand the jailor

called Jayarathnaand otherofficersassaulted himand he wasbroughtback to

Welikada, onthenextday.

Nilanthisaidthat on 27.04.2011, whenalawyerreportedthisassaultingto the

Court, Court orderedto providemedicaltreatmentandprotectionto Jayathilaka.

Nilanthirequeststhe Commissionerof Prisons,the Human Rights Commission

and the IGP to take legal and disciplinary actions against the jailor called

Jayaratnaand otherprison officersattachedto Kalutara Prison forassaulting her

husband.


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2011/27

SSP misleads Judiciary.

Mount Lavinia Police

Thevage Inoj Prasad Ratnapala is a 30 years old married father with two

children. He is a chef attached to Jhon Keels Pvt Ltd and resides atno 152,

Batuvandara Madapatha.

On 17.05.2010, when he was on his way homeafter work,agroup ofpeople

assaulted him at Maviththara junction in Piliyandala. When he complained at

Piliyandalapolice,they ignoredanddidnottakeactionregardingthe complaintmadeby Inoj. Hevisited thepolicestation forover12 times,butno attention

wasgivento his complaint.

The one was in the group which assaulted him is a policeman called

Wickremasinghabearingnumber7935 attachedthesamepolicestation.

Oneday Piliyandalapolice told Inoj to accept Rs 4,000/= and stopdawdling

peoplebut hetoldtheinjustice happenedto himto everyone hemet.

But Inoj didnotgiveupand continually facedtheauthoritiesto find justice. Asa result police took steps to file lawsuits against the perpetrators except

Wickremasinha,bearingnumber7935, who isattachedto thetraffic branch.

Itisreportedthatthe wife ofthesuspect Wickremasinha, worksinthe office of

the SeniorSuperintendent, Mount Lavinia.

The SSP of Mount Laviniapoliceproducedareportbeforethe courtsayingthat

Wickremasinha cannot be produced before the court because there was no

sufficientevidenceagainst him.

Inoj requeststhe Human Rights Commissionand IGP to arrest Wickremasinha

bearingnumber 7935 attached to the traffic branch in Mount Laviniyapolice

andproduced himbeforethe Court.

He furtherrequeststo make Wickremasinhaasanaccusedinthelawsuitbeing

filedin Kasbava Magistrate Court. Healso requeststo takelegalactionsagainst


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the SSP Mount Lavinia who mislead the judiciary by producing a report

containing falseinformation.

2011/28

Torture/Fabrication of Charges to fulfill wishes of relatives.

Alla Police Post - Baduraliya Police

Dissanayaka MudiyanselageTikiri Bandara is a 48 years old married father

with seven children. Heisateapluckerand heresidesatNeliukatiyalow lands,

Kelinkanda.

Histhree childrennamed Suresh Lakmal (age-13) Chandima Bandara (age-11)

and Vishaka Sadamali (Age-10) were illegally arrested and torturedby Alla

Police PostunderBuduraliyapolice.

As stated by Tikiri Bandara these children were arrested and torturedby a

police officerattachedto policepostto fulfillthe wish ofaneighbor.

The allegation against his children was of stealing a golden chain from the

house ofaneighborcalledNissanka.

Beforegettingpoliceassistance,Nissankabroughtthosethree childreninto his

homeand frightenedthem whentheirparents werenotat home.

On 08.06.2011, two police officersnamed Mahinda and Liyanageattached to

Allapolicepost,tookthese childrento empty houseandassaultedthem with a

rodbeforeneighbors. Children Sadamaliand Suresh were heldanddraggedby

hairandassaulted.

After that, they weretaken to thepolicepost,detained there illegally and then

broughtto Baduraliyapolice.

On 19.06.2011, when these children were produced before Mathugama

Magistrate Court, it wassaidthat they wereassaultedby thepolice.The court

releasedthem onbail.The falseallegationagainstthem was ofstealingagold

necklace.Nextday, children wereadmittedto hospital fortreatment.


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Tikiri Bandara made complaints to the Human Rights Commission, the

Attorney General, the Police Child and Women Bureau and the Child Rights

Authority and requests them to take legal actions against Mahinda Liyanage

attached to Alla police post and the OIC of Baduraliya police who were

responsible forbreach of fundamentalrights ofthe children.

2011/29

Wadduwa Police tortured to satisfy a sand smuggler.

Wadduwa Police

Mastiyage DonNishshanka Pradeep Gunathilaka is a 24 years old marriedfather of one child. He is a carpenterby profession and resides atNo 29/1,

Wasantharama Rd, Molligoda, Wadduwa.

On 01.07.2011 Pradeep Gunathilaka complained to the relevantauthorities of

Human Rights Commission, the IGP and other related institutions about the

illegaldetention forfourdaysandtorture.

On 27.06.2011, at around 12 mid-nightpolice officer called Milan and other

fivepolice officersattachedto Wadduwapolice cameto his house. Only Milan

andanotherperson werein civilian clothesbuttherest wereinuniforms.

Ataround 12 mid-nights, when someone knocked at thedoor of Pradeep, he

askedasto who it was.They saidthatthey were frompolice. So he openedthe

door.Thenthepolice officerMilanenteredthe house while othertwo followed

him. Milan asked whether he was Nissanka. He said yes. He asked him to

accompany himto thepolicestation. PradepNisankaasked him forthereason.

Butthey didnottell.The othersatthe house werealso wakeup. Police officers

arrested PradeepNissanka.

They took him through the yard closer to his house, jumped over a walland

reached the road.They didnotused straightpath to the road.The jeep was

parked on theroad. On the way to thepolicestation, officer Milanasked him

about one Ukkuniyaalias Chanaka. Hesaidthat heisa friend of himasked why

they wereaskingabout him.Thenthepolice officerrepliedthatboth of youdid


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agood thing.They asked him of the whereabouts of Ukkuniyas house, went

thereandalso arrested him.

Atthe Wadduwapolicestationthey wereputinseparate cells. Inthe cellthere

wereanothertwo with PrdeepNissanka.

On 28th

atabout 7.30 inthemorningapolice officercalled Susantha camenear

the cellandasked himasto how many chains he hadsnatchedso far. He was

surprised to hear this and said that he neverdo such things.Then thepolice

officerasked himasto why hespokeso loudly. Herepliedthat he firmly told

that hedidnotdo such thing.

On 01.07.2011,about 1.00 inthedawn,apolice officerinthereservetookhim

outsidethe cell. Hesaid PradeepNissankathatthebig officercalled forhim. He

was directed to the room ofNimal Karunaratna. The officer in the reserve

followed him and remained closer to the OICs room.The OIC told him to

returnthegoods which areatthemoment when hereach house. When Pradeep

Nissankasaidthat hedidnotsnatch any chain,the OIC hit him ontheleft cheek

of his faceusing his fist. He hit him 15 20 times.The officer of thereserve

noticed all this. After that the OIC called the officer at reserve to hand over

PradeepNissankato anotherpolice officer.

So he wastakenupstairsand handed overto thesaid officer. PradeepNissanka

didnotknow hisnamebut couldidentify himifseen. He ordered himto sit on

the floor. Heasked himto hand overgold jewelsbeforestartingto assault him.

Anotherpolice officercalledNimal cameto thatplace. Heasked himasto why

did hego to the yard of Saman. Hesaidthat hedidnotgo to the yard of Saman,

butto the yard of Ukkuniyabecause Ukkuniyaand hisbrothersare his friends.

Thepolice officerwhosename wasnotknownby PradeepNissankaaskedthe

police officerNimalto find out whetherthebig officerhadgone. Pradeep heard

thepolice officer leaving downstairs and asked whether thebig officer left.

Another one said that he went. Thepolice officer calledNimal again came

upstairsandsaidthatthebig officerwent.Thenthe otherpolice officersaiditwasno needto hit himnow but could hit himtomorrow afternoon while other

officersarepresent.

So thispolice officer handed over PradeepNissanka to the officerat reserve

whoput himagaininto the cell. PradeepNissankasleptinsidethe cell.


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On 01.07.2007,inthemorning onepolice officercalled Wasanthatookaperson

out of the cell. Again after half an hour thepolice officer whose name was

unknown to PradeepNissankaput thatpersonagain into the cell.Thatperson

wasalso assaulted. He came walkingto the cell with difficulty.Thenthatpolice

officersaidnext wouldbe PradeepNissanka.

On 01.07.2011,at 11 inthenoon, Pradeepsmotherand fathercameto see him.

Then the reserve police officer took him outside, took signatures from his

parentsinapiece ofpaperandreleased him.They neverrecordeda confession

from him. OIC tookhistelephonenumberandsaidthatifit wouldbenecessary

he would call himagain. As he hadno phone, hegavethetelephonenumberof

his uncle. At that time Ukkuniya alias Chanakas father came there and

Ukkuniya wasalso released onbail. Hetoo wasassaultedby thepolice.

According PradeepNissanka, Wadduwapolicedetained him for fourdaysandassaultedthem fortheneed ofaperson called Samanalias Pulun Samanliving

intheirarea.The Wadduwapoliceactedinthisillegalmannerbecausethegold

necklace of Pulun Samans wife wassnatched. Pulun Samanis oftenengagein

sandsmugglingand otherillegalactivities.

As there isstrongnexusbetween Wadduwapoliceand Pulun Saman, Pradeep

Samanand Ukkuniya werearrestedandassaulted.

Praddeep Nissanka further says that his mother called Dammika Priyanthi

submitted a complaint by fax on 01.07.2011 complaining that his son was

illegally detainedandtortured.

torture prevalence in sri lanka - 2011 (part 02) by janasansadaya

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