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 five-year-old son on suspicion of drug possession. During interrogation, he was subjected to severe and inhumane torture. Evidence presented before the court detailed acts such as suffocation using a polythene bag, binding his hands with a club, beating him against barrels, and applying an inflammatory substance to his genitals.
Forensic medical reports submitted during the trial confirmed the presence of 11 external injuries on the victim’s body. It was further established that the assaults caused significant damage to his hands, rendering them temporarily lifeless.
In her ruling, Judge Nanayakkara observed that even when the suspect was produced before a magistrate, he had been pressured to conceal his injuries. She also noted that the victim had been denied proper medical care until the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka intervened.
The court held that the prosecution had proven the charges beyond reasonable doubt and strongly condemned the abuse of official power. In addition to the prison sentences, the court ordered that compensation be paid to the victim for the harm suffered.
The verdict is being regarded as a significant judicial stance against custodial torture and a step forward in ensuring accountability among law enforcement authorities in Sri Lanka.
