police torture in sri lanka

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

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…

The Sri Lanka Collective Against Torture (SLCAT) has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take quick action against police officers found guilty by the Supreme Court of violating fundamental rights. This includes the torture of a child. On World Children’s Day, SLCAT sent a letter calling for the immediate removal of the officers involved in the Supreme Court case SC/FR/87/2023. The Court determined that the former Acting Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Hatharaliyadda Police Station was responsible for the unlawful arrest, torture, and detention of a 16-year-old boy. SLCAT emphasized that…

Seventeen years after the brutal torture of 14-year-old schoolboy Buddhi Ewantha Gunasekara from Eranawila, Mitiyagoda, the Balapitiya High Court yesterday (11) handed down long-awaited sentences to four accused, including senior police officers and a civil guard. The tragic case dates back to March 7, 2008, when Buddhi, then a Grade 9 student, was arrested on allegations of stealing money from a neighbor’s house. He was taken into custody by Sub-Inspector Saman Palitha Athukorala and Civil Guard Lalith de Zoysa, based on a complaint lodged with the Mitiyagoda Police. Soon after,…

A fisherman from Rekawa East, Tangalle, has accused police officers of assaulting him after he refused to bow down and apologize to a neighbor during a dispute. The victim, identified as Koku Hannedige Prabath Priyantha, a resident of Pokunu Goda, Netolpitiya, Rekawa East, alleges that on August 2, three officers from the Hungama Police Station forcibly entered his home, dragged him outside, and demanded that he apologize to a neighboring woman in public. When he refused, the officers allegedly beat him with a stick, causing injuries to his leg and…

25-year struggle for justice in the Lasantha Jagath Kumara case reveals systemic failings A public discussion titled “Delays in Sri Lanka’s Justice System and the Functioning of Anti-Torture Mechanisms” was held on July 15, 2015, at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute in Colombo, drawing attention to longstanding issues within Sri Lanka’s criminal justice system. The event featured several prominent legal professionals, activists, and scholars. One of the key cases highlighted during the event was Sriyani Silva vs. Iddamalgoda, described as a landmark judgment in Sri Lankan legal history, particularly in the recognition of the right to life by the judiciary.…

In a significant show of media recognition, the Daily Mirror has featured a detailed article highlighting the efforts of the Right to Life Human Rights Centre (R2L) in raising awareness on torture in Sri Lanka, coinciding with the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26. The article titled “In support of tortured victims – Realities of torture in Sri Lanka” sheds light on the alarming increase in torture complaints and the lack of effective implementation of Sri Lanka’s anti-torture laws, while placing a spotlight on the…

In a landmark judgment that reinforces the importance of accountability in law enforcement, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ordered six police officers attached to the Thambuttegama Police to pay Rs. 1.2 million in compensation to a youth who was brutally assaulted during a protest in 2012. The compensation must be paid personally by the officers, marking a rare instance where law enforcement officials have been held individually liable for the violation of fundamental rights. The Court also instructed the Attorney General to examine the possibility of initiating criminal…

Serious allegations have been leveled against officers of the Yakkalamulla Police Station following claims that they physically and mentally abused a fully disabled man during an alleged attempt to frame him for producing and distributing illegal alcohol. The victim, Eriyana Bandara Indika Prabath, a 36-year-old resident of Mbivitawatta, Magedara in Galle, has been paralyzed from the waist down since a life-changing accident in 2020. Confined to a wheelchair and cared for by his elderly mother and brother, Indika now accuses police officers of conducting an illegal search of his home…

A disturbing incident of police brutality has been reported from Darga town, Aluthgama, where a man riding a motorcycle was allegedly assaulted and injured by officers from the Aluthgama Police. The victim, Thirimadura Thilak Wasanna Kumara de Zoysa, had hosted a political meeting at his residence on April 19 at around 5 p.m. Later that evening, he went to a nearby shop with his brother, and he was not wearing a helmet. On their return, a police cab arrived, prompting Wasantha to stop the motorcycle and dismount. According to eyewitness…

Tag: police torture in sri lanka

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

SLCAT Urges President to Dismiss Police Officers Involved in Torture of Minor

Balapitiya Court Delivers Verdict After 17 Year Long Torture Case Involving 14 Year Old Schoolboy

Tangalle Fisherman Assaulted by Police After Refusing to Apologize to Neighbor

Public Dialogue Highlights Delays in Justice and Anti-Torture Mechanisms in Sri Lanka

30 Years of the Torture Act: R2L’s Call for Reform Featured in Daily Mirror

Supreme Court Orders Thambuttegama Police Officers to Personally Pay Rs. 1.2 Million to Assault Victim

Physically Disabled Man Allegedly Assaulted by Yakkalamulla Police.

Brutal Assault by Aluthgama Police