The Supreme Court has scheduled October 16 to hear a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by the father of a youth who allegedly died while in police custody after being arrested in connection with a shooting incident reported in Kotahena in March 2025.
The petition was considered by a three-member bench comprising Justices Mahinda Samayawardhena, Arjuna Obeysekera, and Gihan Kulatunga.
The petitioner, identified as the father of Warna Lakmal, claims that his son was among two young men arrested in relation to a shooting incident in the Kotahena area on March 21, 2025, and that both individuals later died while in police custody.
The Officer-in-Charge of the Kotahena Police Station and several other police officials have been named as respondents in the case.
According to the petition, the two youths were taken into custody as part of investigations into the shooting incident. The petitioner has raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding their deaths, alleging that his son’s constitutional rights were violated during his detention.
The petitioner has requested compensation of Rs. 10 million from the State, claiming that the death amounted to a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Sri Lankan Constitution.
The case is being heard amid ongoing concerns raised by human rights organizations and civil society groups regarding deaths in police custody and the need for effective accountability mechanisms, independent investigations, and stronger protections for detainees.
Attorneys-at-Law Geetha Karunarathna and B. Marusho appeared on behalf of the petitioner, under the instructions of Attorney-at-Law Bhagya Peiris.
The Supreme Court will further consider the circumstances surrounding the deaths and whether the conduct of the respondents resulted in any infringement of the fundamental rights of the deceased youth.
