To protect individuals in police custody from being subjected to torture, the court had previously issued several directives. However, these measures have not produced the intended results, as stated by Justice S. Thurai Raja, Chairman of the three-judge Supreme Court bench, on August 26. Justice Thurai Raja made this declaration during the consideration of a fundamental rights petition related to a case of severe torture.
Despite the court’s various orders, warnings, and guidelines aimed at preventing such abuses during police arrests, incidents of torture continue unabated. The National Police Commission and the Inspector General of Police have not addressed these issues nor issued any reports concerning them.
These remarks were made by Justice Thurai Raja during the hearing of a fundamental rights petition filed by Inoka Nadishani and Anuja Samantha, university students who were subjected to humiliating treatment during a protest organized by Kelaniya University students in 2009. The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices S. Thurai Raja, Kumuduni Wickramasinghe, and Janak Silva, has ruled that the respondents should issue an apology to the petitioners and resolve the matter by providing compensation.
