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Zero Tolerance for Corporal Punishment: Education Ministry Issues New Circular

The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education has issued a new circular strictly prohibiting corporal punishment and any form of physical or psychological harm against students in schools. Circular No. 11/2026, titled “Maintaining Discipline in Schools,” was released on March 30, 2026, following a directive from the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The circular is based on the Court’s judgment delivered on July 7, 2025, in relation to Case No. 461/2012 (FR), which instructed the Secretary of Education to take appropriate action. The directive has been circulated among…

A woman from the Habaraduwa area alleges that the Habaraduwa Police are committing inhumane assaults, false cases and threats against her family. She states that after filing a fundamental rights case against the Habaraduwa Police under the number SCFR/01/25 in January 2025, the police pressured her to withdraw the case in various ways. She also states that after rejecting those demands, her family has been facing threats and harassment. Accordingly, on March 17, 2026, she alleges that several police officers not wearing uniforms entered her house from behind, arrested the…

Kobeigane, Sri Lanka — Serious allegations of police brutality have emerged from the Kobeigane area, where a local mason, Pradeep Kumara, was reportedly subjected to inhumane treatment during a police investigation into a theft. According to reports, the incident began after homeowners lodged a complaint regarding the theft of gold items from their residence. Mr. Kumara, who had reportedly visited the house on a previous occasion for work, was asked to appear at the police station to assist with the investigation. Demonstrating willingness to cooperate, he voluntarily presented himself to…

Colombo, Sri Lanka — The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ruled that the fundamental rights of a restaurant owner in Midigama were violated by seven officers of the Excise Department, ordering them to pay compensation from their personal funds. The judgment, delivered on the 11th, directed the seven officers named as respondents to pay a total of Rs. 525,000 to the petitioner within three months Rs. 75,000 each. The petition was filed by Dinesh Priyadarshana Dodangoda, the owner of a restaurant in the Midigama area. He alleged that between…

Colombo, Sri Lanka — In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court has ruled that the fundamental rights of a young man arrested by Payagala Police in 2012 were violated, affirming serious allegations of custodial torture and unlawful detention. The case concerns Levwanduwa Withanage Sameera Sampath, a 24-year-old resident of Katukurundugahalanda, Pothuwila, Payagala, who was arrested on January 27, 2012, while on his way to sell vegetables at the Katukurunda Market. According to the petition filed before the Court (SCFR/127/12), Sameera Sampath was detained for two days and subjected to severe…

Negombo, Sri Lanka — The Negombo High Court has sentenced three officers attached to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) to seven years of rigorous imprisonment each for the brutal assault and torture of a suspect during a drug raid. The judgment was delivered by High Court Judge Kavindya Nanayakkara on the 13th. The convicted officers include Sub-Inspector Asanga Ramesh Amarasinghe and Police Constables Aruna Dinesh and Thilina Udayanga. Court proceedings revealed that the incident occurred in November 2018. The victim, Seeni Mohammad Nauker Nadeep, had been arrested along with his…

February 10 – A 17-year-old boy was killed after police opened fire on a van driving recklessly near Allapiddy Junction in the Kayts Police Division. Police stated that officers had signaled a suspicious van to stop, but the vehicle sped towards Mandativu, ignoring orders. A Kayts police jeep was dispatched to intercept the van. According to authorities, initial warning shots were fired into the air when the van did not stop. When the vehicle continued, police fired at the van to bring it to a halt. The driver, identified as…

Colombo, November 3 – The death of a 46-year-old man while in the custody of the Kandeketiya Police has triggered renewed concerns over the safety of detainees and the persistent lack of accountability within Sri Lanka’s law enforcement system. The deceased has been identified as Navaratne Mudiyanselage Ajantha Pushpakumara, a resident of Meegahakiula. According to official reports, Mr. Pushpakumara was arrested on court-issued warrants. He reportedly fell ill while detained at the Kandeketiya Police Station and was subsequently admitted to the Kandeketiya Divisional Hospital. His condition necessitated a transfer to…

Colombo, October 22, 2025 — The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ruled that three officers of the Alawwa Police violated the constitutional rights of journalist Thilina Rajapaksa, ordering them to personally pay a total of Rs. 75,000 in compensation. Rajapaksa, an announcer and producer at a private radio channel, was stopped by police on March 1, 2021, while riding his motorcycle from Polgahawela to Colombo. Police Sergeants Ravindra Kumara and B.M.S.S. Wijaya Bandara were accused of crossing the white line on the road. When Rajapaksa challenged their actions, the…

Colombo, October 3 – Justice Demanded for Alleged Torture and Illegal Detention by Kandana Police Colombo. Serious allegations have emerged against the Kandana Police for violating basic rights, raising urgent calls for accountability. This not only violated the basic rights of the individual and criminal laws, but also ignored the recommendations from the Hon. Supreme Court and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, as well as the circulars issued by the Inspector General of Police. Thilina Chanaka Fernando, 34, a resident of Suduwella, Ja-Ela, was reportedly unlawfully arrested…

Category: News

Zero Tolerance for Corporal Punishment: Education Ministry Issues New Circular

Police Brutality Allegations Reported in Habaraduwa

Allegations of Police Assault in Kobeigane Spark Calls for Justice

Supreme Court Finds Rights Violation by Excise Officers, Orders Personal Compensation

Supreme Court Rules Torture by Payagala Police Violated Fundamental Rights

Negombo High Court Sentences Three PNB Officers to 7 Years for Torture

17-Year-Old Killed in Police Firing at Van in Kayts

Custodial Death at Kandeketiya Police Station

Supreme Court Orders Three Police Officers to Personally Pay Rs. 75,000 for Violating Journalist’s Rights

Calls for Justice as Kandana Police Accused of Torture and Illegal Detention