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CHAMINDA v. GUNAWARDENA, OIC POLICE STATION, KATARAGAMA AND OTHERS S.C. (SPECIAL) NO. 106/97

On 20.02.1997 the Post Master, Central Post Office, Kataragama, made a complaint to the Kataragama Police regarding a loss of monies from the Post Office safe. The petitioner was a messenger attached to that Post Office; but there was no complaint against the petitioner. However, on the same day the 2nd respondent, an Inspector of Police (since dead), arrested the petitioner and took him to the police station. The 2nd respondent questioned the petitioner about the “theft”, slapped him on the left ear and knocked his head on a wall.…

SUBASINGHE v. POLICE CONSTABLE SANDUN AND OTHERS S.C. (SPECIAL) NO. 235/96

On 26.11.1996 the petitioner made a complaint to the 3rd respondent (OIC, Dankotuwa Police) regarding a commercial transaction. On the evening of that day, the 1st respondent police constable met the petitioner at the Dankotuwa Public Market and threatened to teach him a “good lesson”. The next day, the 1st respondent and another police officer (the 2nd respondent) arrested the petitioner at the Dankotuwa Public Market and took him to the police station. Thereafter the 1st respondent assaulted the petitioner with hands, kicked him and also beat him with a…

ABEYWICKREMA v. GUNARATNA AND THREE OTHERS S.C. SPL 93/96.

The petitioner who is a three wheeler driver has taken a passenger on hire; and after arriving at the Police Station with the passenger as requested by him, he was assaulted by the Police taken into custody and produced before the A.J.M.O. According to the petitioner, on 7th July 1996 he has taken a passenger to Ragama on hire and had returned with the said passenger around 7 p.m. The passenger had gone into his place of lodging to bring the money to pay the hire due to the petitioner…

DISSANAYAKE, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW ON BEHALF OF K. M. LAL v. SUJEEWA, SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE, MEETIYAGODA POLICE STATION AND OTHERS S.C. APPLICATION NO. 524/96

At the time this application was filed the victim Lai was unconscious. Subsequently he tendered an affidavit. It was alleged that close to midnight on 02. 06. 1996 when he was sleeping in his house, the 1st respondent and other police officers arrived and arrested him. He was taken to the Meetiyagoda Police station. In the early hours 03. 06. 1996 the 1st respondent assaulted him with hands and feet and a club when he lost consciousness. Later that day the police admitted the victim to Batapola hospital. As per…

RIFAIDEEN v. SUB-INSPECTOR OF POLICE JAYALATH, WELLAWATTE POLICE STATION AND OTHERS SC (SPL) NO. 71/96

The petitioner who was 59 years old, was a “broker* by profession. He has averred that on 27.05.1996, the 1st respondent with some other police officers attached to the Police Station, Wellawatte, took him into custody while he was travelling from Panadura to Colombo. The petitioner alleges that he was taken to the Police Station and was assaulted by the 1st respondent at the instigation of the 2nd respondent. The allegation is that the petitioner was assaulted with sand filled S-lon pipes and he thereby sustained injuries to his head,…

PRIYANKARA v. PC SISIRA KUMARA, POLICE STATION, PUTTALAM AND OTHERS SC APPLICATION NO 214/96 (SPL.)

The petitioner was travelling in a Puttalam bound bus when a passenger boarded the bus with a lighted cigarette. When the conductor of the bus attempted to stop the smoking, the passenger retaliated by using obscene language. At that stage the petitioner intervened. Then also the passenger retaliated by using obscene language. When the bus reached the Puttalam bus stand the passenger challenged the petitioner. The petitioner attempted to escape but the passenger assaulted the petitioner repeatedly. Thereafter, the petitioner visited the Puttalam Police Station and complained to the OIC,…

NALIKA KUMUDINI, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW, (ON BEHALF OF MALSHA KUMARI) v. NIHAL MAHINDA, O.I.C. HUNGAMA POLICE AND OTHERS S.C. APPLICATION (F.R.) NO. 615/95

Malsha Kumari a 14 year old girl was arrested at her house by police officers of the Hungama Police Station. She was questioned about the theft of a gold chain and assaulted by Police Officers both at the time of her arrest and at the Police Station. The 1st respondent, officer- in-charge of the Police Station, assaulted her with a hose-pipe and trampled her. Thereafter her hands were tied behind her back and she was hung on a tree with a rope. While she remained hung the 1st respondent beat…

ABASIN BANDA v. S. I. GUNARATNE & OTHERS S.C. APPLICATION NO. 109/95.

The Petitioner alleges that he was arrested at about 6 p.m. on 1, March 1995, for no reason. He was taken to the Hanguranketha Police Station where the 1st Respondent assaulted him with a piece of wood. He was produced before the Magistrate in the morning of 2, March, 1995. The Petitioner states that he was waiting for a bus at the Rikillagaskada junction to go home, after selling cloth. Then the 1st respondent arrived in a jeep with two Police Constables and arrested him. The petitioner was not informed…

KODITUWAKKUGE NIHAL POLICE SERGEANT KOTALAWALA AND OTHERS SC APPLICATION NO. 1 2 6 /9 4

The Is’ to the 10th respondents were police officers attached to the Police Guard Room, Boralesgam uw a w hich com es u n d er the M aharagam a Police Station. On 04. 03. 1994, the petitioner w as arrested by the 1st and 2nd respondents for a traffic offence and taken to the Police G uard Room, Boralesgam uwa after using m uch force on him. W hilst in police custody, the 1st, 2nd, 4lh and 5th respondents assau lted him. He was assau lted with a rubber…

RATNASIRI AND ANOTHER v. DEVASURENDRAN, INSPECTOR OF POLICE, SLAVE ISLAND AND OTHERS S.C. APPLICATION NO. 4/91 WITH S.C. APPLICATION NO. 3/91

The Incidents of assault and Inhuman treatm ent com plained of which w ere a sequel to travel in a bus, have been established. The Police Officers, acting under the colour of office assaulted the petitioner and subjected diem to inhuman treatm ent but the identity of the p articu lar officers who could have been personally responsible has not been established. Hence only the State would be obliged to pay compensation. Of consent, the above two applications were consolidated and heard together. The petitioner in application No. 4 (“1st…