On August 2, 2024, a bus conductor from the Kingsley Super Service, identified as Vitarana Hetty Arachchige Amisha Madhuranga, was publicly assaulted and later arrested by the Tissamaharama Police. The incident occurred after Madhuranga, 23, was suspected of deceiving a woman and withdrawing money from an ATM using her Visa card. The conductor, an unmarried resident of No. 16, Nugewala, Ambalantota Mamadala, was stopped while on duty in the Tissa-Matara bus route.
According to witnesses, an ununiformed officer approached the back door of the bus and ordered Madhuranga to halt the vehicle. Following the instruction, Madhuranga relayed the order to the bus driver, Saman. However, instead of a routine inquiry, the officer verbally abused and physically assaulted Madhuranga in front of passengers and bystanders. He was then forcibly taken to the police station.
At the station, the brutality escalated as Madhuranga was struck on the face and pressured to confess to the alleged crime. Despite his denial, the police officers intensified their assault, even threatening him with an iron pipe. Throughout the ordeal, Madhuranga maintained his innocence.
The police eventually secured the identity card of Madhuranga’s father as a form of surety before releasing the young conductor on physical bail. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for an investigation into the conduct of the Tissamaharama Police. The public and human rights advocates are demanding accountability and justice for the inhumane treatment suffered by Amisha Madhuranga.
