2011/26 Assault by Prison Officers. Kalutara Prison.

Nammuni Kankanamge Champika Nilanthi is a 37 years old married mother with three children and she resides in Katuvangoda road, Pothupitiya, Wadduwa. Her 30 years old husband named Hettikankanamge Chaminda Jayathilaka was assaulted by 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 was detained in Welikada Prison, on 23.04.2011, he was brought back to Kalutara Prison in the night and assaulted once again. She came to know that her husband was taken again to Welikada prison on 24.04.2011. Her mother went to Welikada prison to see Jayathilaka on 26.04.2011. He told her that he was taken to Kalutara Prison on 23.04.2011, at night and the jailor called Jayarathna and other officers assaulted him and he was brought back to Welikada, on the next day. Nilanthi said that on 27.04.2011, when a lawyer reported this assaulting to the Court, Court ordered to provide medical treatment and protection to Jayathilaka. Nilanthi requests the Commissioner of Prisons, the Human Rights Commission and the IGP to take legal and disciplinary actions against the jailor called Jayaratna and other prison officers attached to Kalutara Prison for assaulting her husband.

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 at no 152, Batuvandara Madapatha. On 17.05.2010, when he was on his way home after work, a group of people assaulted him at Maviththara junction in Piliyandala. When he complained at Piliyandala police, they ignored and did not take action regarding the complaint made by Inoj. He visited the police station for over 12 times, but no attention was given to his complaint. The one was in the group which assaulted him is a policeman called Wickremasingha bearing number 7935 attached the same police station. One day Piliyandala police told Inoj to accept Rs 4,000/= and stop dawdling people but he told the injustice happened to him to everyone he met. But Inoj did not give up and continually faced the authorities to find justice. As a result police took steps to file lawsuits against the perpetrators except Wickremasinha, bearing number 7935, who is attached to the traffic branch. It is reported that the wife of the suspect Wickremasinha, works in the office of the Senior Superintendent, Mount Lavinia. The SSP of Mount Lavinia police produced a report before the court saying that Wickremasinha cannot be produced before the court because there was no sufficient evidence against him. Inoj requests the Human Rights Commission and IGP to arrest Wickremasinha bearing number 7935 attached to the traffic branch in Mount Laviniya police and produced him before the Court. He further requests to make Wickremasinha as an accused in the lawsuit being filed in Kasbava Magistrate Court. He also requests to take legal actions against

the SSP Mount Lavinia who mislead the judiciary by producing a report containing false information.

2011/28 Torture/Fabrication of Charges to fulfill wishes of relatives. Alla Police Post - Baduraliya Police

Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Tikiri Bandara is a 48 years old married father with seven children. He is a tea plucker and he resides at Neliukatiya low lands, Kelinkanda. His three children named Suresh Lakmal (age-13) Chandima Bandara (age-11) and Vishaka Sadamali (Age-10) were illegally arrested and tortured by Alla Police Post under Buduraliya police. As stated by Tikiri Bandara these children were arrested and tortured by a police officer attached to police post to fulfill the wish of a neighbor. The allegation against his children was of stealing a golden chain from the house of a neighbor called Nissanka. Before getting police assistance, Nissanka brought those three children into his home and frightened them when their parents were not at home. On 08.06.2011, two police officers named Mahinda and Liyanage attached to Alla police post, took these children to empty house and assaulted them with a rod before neighbors. Children Sadamali and Suresh were held and dragged by hair and assaulted. After that, they were taken to the police post, detained there illegally and then brought to Baduraliya police. On 19.06.2011, when these children were produced before Mathugama Magistrate Court, it was said that they were assaulted by the police. The court released them on bail. The false allegation against them was of stealing a gold necklace. Next day, children were admitted to hospital for treatment.

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 for breach of fundamental rights of the children.

2011/29 Wadduwa Police tortured to satisfy a sand smuggler. Wadduwa Police

Mastiyage Don Nishshanka Pradeep Gunathilaka is a 24 years old married father of one child. He is a carpenter by profession and resides at No 29/1, Wasantharama Rd, Molligoda, Wadduwa. On 01.07.2011 Pradeep Gunathilaka complained to the relevant authorities of Human Rights Commission, the IGP and other related institutions about the illegal detention for four days and torture. On 27.06.2011, at around 12 mid-night police officer called Milan and other five police officers attached to Wadduwa police came to his house. Only Milan and another person were in civilian clothes but the rest were in uniforms. At around 12 mid-nights, when someone knocked at the door of Pradeep, he asked as to who it was. They said that they were from police. So he opened the door. Then the police officer Milan entered the house while other two followed him. Milan asked whether he was Nissanka. He said yes. He asked him to accompany him to the police station. Pradep Nisanka asked him for the reason. But they did not tell. The others at the house were also wake up. Police officers arrested Pradeep Nissanka. They took him through the yard closer to his house, jumped over a wall and reached the road. They did not used straight path to the road. The jeep was parked on the road. On the way to the police station, officer Milan asked him about one Ukkuniya alias Chanaka. He said that he is a friend of him asked why they were asking about him. Then the police officer replied that both of you did

a good thing. They asked him of the whereabouts of Ukkuniyas house, went there and also arrested him. At the Wadduwa police station they were put in separate cells. In the cell there were another two with Prdeep Nissanka. On 28th at about 7.30 in the morning a police officer called Susantha came near the cell and asked him as to how many chains he had snatched so far. He was surprised to hear this and said that he never do such things. Then the police officer asked him as to why he spoke so loudly. He replied that he firmly told that he did not do such thing. On 01.07.2011, about 1.00 in the dawn, a police officer in the reserve took him outside the cell. He said Pradeep Nissanka that the big officer called for him. He was directed to the room of Nimal Karunaratna. The officer in the reserve followed him and remained closer to the OICs room. The OIC told him to return the goods which are at the moment when he reach house. When Pradeep Nissanka said that he did not snatch any chain, the OIC hit him on the left cheek of his face using his fist. He hit him 15 20 times. The officer of the reserve noticed all this. After that the OIC called the officer at reserve to hand over Pradeep Nissanka to another police officer. So he was taken upstairs and handed over to the said officer. Pradeep Nissanka did not know his name but could identify him if seen. He ordered him to sit on the floor. He asked him to hand over gold jewels before starting to assault him. Another police officer called Nimal came to that place. He asked him as to why did he go to the yard of Saman. He said that he did not go to the yard of Saman, but to the yard of Ukkuniya because Ukkuniya and his brothers are his friends. The police officer whose name was not known by Pradeep Nissanka asked the police officer Nimal to find out whether the big officer had gone. Pradeep heard the police officer leaving downstairs and asked whether the big officer left. Another one said that he went. The police officer called Nimal again came upstairs and said that the big officer went. Then the other police officer said it was no need to hit him now but could hit him tomorrow afternoon while other officers are present. So this police officer handed over Pradeep Nissanka to the officer at reserve who put him again into the cell. Pradeep Nissanka slept inside the cell.

On 01.07.2007, in the morning one police officer called Wasantha took a person out of the cell. Again after half an hour the police officer whose name was unknown to Pradeep Nissanka put that person again into the cell. That person was also assaulted. He came walking to the cell with difficulty. Then that police officer said next would be Pradeep Nissanka. On 01.07.2011, at 11 in the noon, Pradeeps mother and father came to see him. Then the reserve police officer took him outside, took signatures from his parents in a piece of paper and released him. They never recorded a confession from him. OIC took his telephone number and said that if it would be necessary he would call him again. As he had no phone, he gave the telephone number of his uncle. At that time Ukkuniya alias Chanakas father came there and Ukkuniya was also released on bail. He too was assaulted by the police. According Pradeep Nissanka, Wadduwa police detained him for four days and assaulted them for the need of a person called Saman alias Pulun Saman living in their area. The Wadduwa police acted in this illegal manner because the gold necklace of Pulun Samans wife was snatched. Pulun Saman is often engage in sand smuggling and other illegal activities. As there is strong nexus between Wadduwa police and Pulun Saman, Pradeep Saman and Ukkuniya were arrested and assaulted. 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 detained and tortured.