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Attack on law student: BASL wants zero tolerance for Police brutality
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has called on the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General to take legal action against policeman responsible for the alleged assault on a third year law student inside the Peliyagoda police station. which has left the student with serious injuries.
The letter was sent as the victim Migara Gunaratne was warded at the Ragama hospital after being seriously injured in the alleged assault by policemen on Thursday night. This had happened when he came to the police station to hand over a parcel of food to a suspect in custody.
Migara Gunaratne
The BASL’s outgoing President Kalinga Indatissa in a letter to the IGP said that an immediate inquiry should be held and and disciplinary action taken against the policemen responsible for the attack, criminal charges should be filed against the policemen responsible for the alleged attack. He said all officers on duty that night should be subjected to identification.
The BASL said the victim had visited the police station to hand over a parcel of food to a client of his brother and lawyer Charitha Gunaratne.
The BASL called on the Attorney General to consider directing the Police to file a B report initially under the Code of Criminal Procedure Act of 1979.
Meanwhile the Police on Friday submitted a B report to the Colombo Magistrate’s court seeking to remand the victim on the grounds of obstructing police duties.
The Police have accused Migara Gunaratne of criminal intimidation and obstructing the duties of the Police.
However, Additional Magistrate Lochana Abeywickrema turned down the request on the grounds there was reason to remand him and fixed the case for tomorrow. The Magistrate also requested the Wattala Magistrate to visit Mr Gunaratne at the Ragama hospital and submit a report.
The victim was produced before the Judicial Medical Officer S. Wijegunawardena on Thursday night. The Police had informed the JMO they were to remand him, but in view of the injuries suffered the JMO had ordered that the victim be admitted to hospital.
Attorney Vishwa Gunaratne, an uncle of the victim told the Sunday Times that Police had allegedly tried to mislead the JMO that the injuries had been caused due to a fall inside the police station.
He said the victim’s father Maithri Gunaratne, a former Governor of the Central and Uva provinces, had visited the police station on the day of the incident around 9.00 p.m., but the police had not told him that his son had been taken to the JMO.
“It was only around 1.00 a.m. my brother found out that his son had been admitted to the Ragama hospital,” the victim’s uncle said.
Attorney Charitha Gunaratne had visited the Peliyagoda police station on Tuesday and raised objections to an alleged attempt to file charges against his client relating to drug offences, even though the suspect was arrested on a financial issue.
Vishwa Gunaratne claimed even on Tuesday the lawyer had been treated badly by the officer at the Peliyagoda police station, and even after producing the BASL identity card he had been abused.
He said it was possible there was a mis-identification when Charitha’s brother visited the police station on Thursday, but the assault could not be accepted.
Meanwhile four policemen, including Linton Silva, the Officer in Charge of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Peliyagoda, have been interdicted pending an inquiry.
The Kelaniya Division’s Senior Superintendent D. S. Wickremesinghe said the interdicted policemen had given statements and a further report would be submitted to the IGP.
Police spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said two police teams have been assigned to investigate the incident.
“It is the position of the BASL that there is no room and there must be zero tolerance for Police brutality whether it is against a member of the profession or any other person. People cannot be treated like this. It is a violation of the very law the Police are expected to protect,” the BASL said.