Police CCTV footage: No probe on IGP

No probe has been initiated on the incident where Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara is shown in leaked CCTV footage allegedly mandhandling a minor employee of the Police Department. 

Police Spokesman Superintendent of Police (SP) Ruwan Gunasekara told journalists at the Cabinet media briefing yesterday that the minor employee had not lodged an official complaint over the incident, which had allegedly occurred last April, with the Ministry of Law and Order or the National Police Commission. 

SP Gunasekara said the IGP had allocated a few minutes for those at the Police Headquarters to engage in medidation before the start of duties each day. On that particular day, the IGP had been carrying out an inspection at Police HQ to see how the program was continuing and found that the said employee, a lift operator, was not engaging in the program. 

While acknowledging that the IGP scolded the lift operator, SP Gunasekara insisted no assault or attempted assault took place. He further stated that even the lift operator must engage in the meditation program. 

He claimed that while the incident happened in April, the employee had so far not lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Law and Order or the Police Commission regarding the matter. 

However, he said the Police were contemplating taking legal action against the websites which published the leaked footage, which he claimed had been published with malicious intent. 

Co-Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne, responding to a question, admitted that the footage cast the police in a bad light given allegations leveled internationally that torture was institutionalized within the Sri Lanka Police. 

Meanwhile, the National Police Commission yesterday, stated that it did not have powers to probe into a complaint against the IGP, pointing out that the IGP is appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council.   

 

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