Custodial Death at Kandeketiya Police Station

  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…

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Kanda Udage Malika Vs D.M. Aberathna and others SC/ FR/ 157/2014

On the May 7, 2014 Sandun Malinga, a 17 year old boy and four others with him were beaten by police officers, arrested and detained at the Kandaketiya police in the Badulla district. Sandun and the other four were taken to the District Medical Officer (DMO), brought back to the police, taken to a Magistrate and remanded in the Badulla remand prison in the evening. The following day, May 9, around 5.30 am his brother who had been also remanded saw Sandun panting and struggling for breath and alerted the…

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Kandaketiya Judgement and Continuing Deaths in State Custody – Ruki Fernando

On the May 7, 2014 Sandun Malinga, a 17 year old boy and four others with him were beaten by police officers, arrested and detained at the Kandaketiya police in the Badulla district. The next day, around 2.30 am, Sandun complained of chest pains when his mother visited him at the police station but police officers refused the mother’s request to admit him to hospital. The mother visited him again around 7.30 am and saw him in a bad condition, lying on the cold floor while crying. When she had…

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