SRI LANKA: A Sister’s 20 Year Long Struggle For Justice For Her Brother Killed By The Police

On the universal day for torture victims, this year, a book will be launched by The Right to Life organization working in collaboration with the AHRC on a long standing case, which is continuing in courts, regarding a man who was killed extra-judicially, inside a Police station. The author of the book is Amitha Priyanthi, the younger sister of the deceased. When the death took place after her brother was kept at a police station for five days, she was just a school going girl. However, the shock of this…

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SC orders policemen to pay for youth’s death after assault

The Supreme Court has ordered six police personnel at the Kandaketiya Police Station to pay compensation of Rs.300,000 to a mother of a 17-year-old deceased son who died after being assaulted by police personnel in 2014. The Supreme Court further ordered the six respondents to pay Rs.60,000 to the petitioner in lieu of litigation costs. The six respondents have been found guilty of murder of the deceased, being members of an unlawful assembly and they were sentenced to death by the Badulla High Court in a judgement dated January 9,…

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A Man Who went in Search for food for his family beaten and killed – Basil Fernando

Basil-Fernando

An incident reported from Waligama, Matara demonstrates the kind of very saddening situations which has been experienced by people in terms of the spread of Covid-19. A young girl in a family was detected of having been infected with the virus and was taken to hospital for treatment. The rest of the family was asked to quarantine themselves by staying in their own house. They stayed for three to four days using all that they had in terms of food and other necessities and finally that came to an end…

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Yakkalamulla police assault a man on the road…!

යක්කලමුල්ල පොලීසිය පොට පටලවාගෙන මහ මඟ සිටි අයෙකුට පහර දෙයි!…

A complaint has lodged to The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), against Yakkalamulla Police in Galle district with regarding case of arresting and assaulting a civilian. The victim is Koggala Wellalage Sisira Kumara, a resident of Hospital Road, Aluthwatta, Nakiyadeniya, in Galle.On 9th May, he has gone to Dimuthu pharmacy at Yakkalamulla Junction to buy some medicine at around 09.00 – 09.30 p.m . While he was there, he has heard the sound of exploding firecrackers near the Yakkalamulla junction, 30…

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Complaints to the Authority for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses of Crime are on the rise!

national authority for the protection of victims of crime and witnesses

The National Authority for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses of Crime was established under the Assistance to and Protection of Victims and Witnesses of Crime Act No. 04 of 2015. No. 428 / 11A, Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Battaramulla on 18th May 2016. Its main objectives are to protect, promote and enforce the rights of crime and witnesses while meeting the needs of crime and victims. An emergency hotline number for this authority was introduced in 2019. That was the 1985 short phone number. The latest statistics from the National…

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How to build a non-violent police force?

How-to-build-a-non-violent-police-force

Police violence has become a current topic in Sri Lanka. There will be 26 illegal killings in Sri Lanka in 2020 alone, said Philip Dissanayake, spokesman for the Sri Lankan Alliance Against Torture. Police are responsible for about half of those killings. The Department of Prisons is the main agency responsible for the rest. In addition, there were a number of incidents of police torturing suspects in 2020. There were also reports of disruptions, assaults, arrests and harassment of peaceful protesters. In June, activists, including women from the Frontline Socialist…

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Rajakaruna Herath Mudiyanselage Keerthirathna, Surakkulama, Mudalakkuliya. Vs Premarathna Police Constable, Police Station, Anamaduwa. And Another | No. 491/2011

The Petitioner in his petition states that the 1st Respondent, Police Constable, Premarathna attached to Anamaduwa Police Station, on 18/01/2011 came to his residence and wanted to arrest him on a warrant issued by the learned Magistrate of Anamaduwa; that the 1st Respondent on 18/01/2011 did not arrest when he was told that the Petitioner was suffering from an ailment called Epilepsy; that on 19/01/2011 when he (the Petitioner) went to the Anamaduwa Police Station with his father-in-law, he (the Petitioner) was arrested by the 1st Respondent and put him…

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Dodampe Gamage Asantha Aravinda vs Atapattu (21899) Police Sergeant, Police Station, Pitabeddara, Bandu Saman (64017) Police Constable, Police Station, Pitabeddara and another | No:26/2009

The Petitioner, by this petition, inter alia, seeks a declaration to the effect that his fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 11,12(1),13(1) and 13(2) of the Constitution have been violated by the Respondents . This Court by its order dated 11.2.2009, granted leave to proceed for alleged violation of Article 11 and 12(1) of the Constitution. The Petitioner in his petition alleges the following facts. When the petitioner on 28.2.2008 riding his motor cycle with his friend Thushara Chaminda on the pillion in Pitabeddara (name of a village) area, lorry driven…

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SAMARAKOON AND OTHERS VS UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION AND OTHERS | 2005 1SLR 119

Fundamental Rights – Petitioners who qualified to join Medical Faculty from Kandy District according to policy declared in Hand Book excluded – Legitimate expectations – Article 12(1) of the Constitution. According to the Hand Book for the academic year 2000/2001 published by the University Grants Commission (UGC) it was declared that 900 places will be available for intake of students to medical faculties of all the Universities in this country. Out of this number and as per the marking scheme, 54 places had to be allocated to the Kandy District.…

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FAROOK VS DHARMARATNE, CHAIRMAN, PROVINCIAL PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, UVA AND OTHERS | 2005 1SLR 133

The petitioner who was in Grade l-l of the Sri Lanka Principals’ Service was not eligible to apply for the post of Principal of Sir Razick Fareed Maha Vidyaiaya. Flowever, with the support of the Provincial Chief Minister of the Uva Province, he first became Principal of Liyanagahawela Tamil Vidyaiaya for which he was not eligible and thereafter by deceit and with the support of the Provincial Ministry of Education he obtained an appointment as Principal of Razick Fareed Maha Vidyaiaya. When the 05th respondent the Provincial Director of Education,…

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