A man who had gone to a funeral home in Udugama has been assaulted by three drunken police officers at Yakkalamulla police.
The victim is Nagoda Gamage Sudath Sanjeewa, a married father of one, residing at Miniranwalakanda, Udugama Central. He works as a scavenger driver. A funeral was held at the house of his friend Chamara Idunil and He had also attended the Mathaka bana chanting held at that house last (22) and had stayed at that house.
Sudath had gone to the Mathaka bana chanting that day on his motorbike. As the motorcycle could not be taken into the garden, it was parked near the hill in front of the house.
On early morning on 23rd When he went to check his motorcycle in the morning, three drunken men who came on three motorcycles asked him what he was doing there. Although he said he had come to attend the funeral, he was subjected to severe scrutiny, scolding him with various obscene words.
There, a man grabbed him by the shirt and hit him, asking with a harsh word, why he was looking at their face? Sudath has also been accused of stealing necklaces in the area while beaten him.
These three later handcuffed Sudath’s hands and forcibly loaded him onto a motorbike. At the moment, Sudath had shouted at because he did not know who they were.
Those present at the time had pleaded for Sudath’s innocence and kindly requested his release, stating that he had been asleep for several consecutive days at the funeral home. However, the three drunken men had said that Sudath had stolen the chains from Udugama and had taken into custody with two kilos of heroin.
He was later taken to the Yakkala Mulla Police Station in a three wheeler around 3.00 am to 3.30 am. He was taken to the Galle Magistrate’s Court that afternoon and charged with possession weed and possession of a knife illegally and obstructing duty of police officers, Sudath said. He was produced before the court and released on Rs. 100,000 bail.
Sudath has lodged a written complaint with the Human Rights Commission and senior Galle police officials, calling for an immediate, impartial inquiry into the injustice done to him and for justice to be done.
A similar attack had been carried out by a group of Yakkalamulla police officers earlier as well, to a man who went to the pharmacy at night. He too had lodged a complaint against the Yakkalamulla Police.
