Kandy resident alleges police assault

A Kandy resident who filed a fundamental rights petition complaining of an assault by Police officers was granted leave to proceed by the Supreme Court The petitioner Bandula Samarasekera a businessman of Kandy cited Ginigaththena OIC Vijitha Alwis, Kandy Chief Inspector A. Dehigama, Kandy Police Station Sub Inspector A Dharmasena, Kandy Divisional Crime Prevention OIC and the Attorney General as respondents.

The petitioner said his son Sohan was involved with a married woman and he was against the clandestine affair. Even though he tried his best to put an end to the affair he was not successful. Therefore he decided to get the assistance of a ‘kattadiya’ to perform one of his rituals to end it.

The petitioner stated that on February 28 the rituals had been performed by the ‘kattadiya’ and he was proceeding in a van together with a friend of his son to the residence occupied by his son and the married woman, in order to sprinkle the charmed mustard that was prepared by the ‘kattadiya’. After it was done and he was returning home the police stopped the vehicle in which he and the others were travelling.

The first respondent OIC Vijitha Alwis got off from his vehicle and came towards the petitioner’s vehicle abusing everyone in foul language. When the OIC came close to his vehicle he saw the articles that had been used to perform the charm and he shouted that these people are those who were responsible for excavating hidden treasure and they should be punished. The petitioner said they were assaulted and taken to the Kandy police. All of them were produced before the Kandy Magistrate at his residence and granted surety bail of Rs. 100,000.He said later he was discharged by the magistrate as there was no case against him.He stated that the brutal assault by the police violated his fundamental rights. Attorney J.C.Weliamune appeared for the petitioner .
The case was postponed to September 9.