The Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court has issued a notice to the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Dematagoda Police following allegations of detaining, stripping, and brutally assaulting an individual.
The complaint, brought to the court’s attention by the victim’s legal counsel, alleges that a three-wheeler driver was detained for seven days without being produced in court. During his detention, he was reportedly stripped naked and subjected to severe physical abuse by police officers.
According to the victim’s lawyer, the incident began on January 2 when the driver was summoned to Dematagoda for a hire request made via telephone. Upon arrival, a group of individuals in civilian attire allegedly threatened him at gunpoint and took him to the Dematagoda Police Station. The victim was then interrogated about the discovery of a woman’s body in a garbage dump before being subjected to brutal assault.
The court heard that the victim was only produced before a magistrate on January 9, with police claiming he had sustained injuries from falling out of a vehicle. Following his court appearance, the victim was hospitalized and received treatment until January 18.
Furthermore, the victim alleged that the police had threatened to plant drugs in his vehicle and fabricate charges against him if he attempted to report the abuse. His sister has since filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, claiming that her brother’s fundamental rights were violated during the ordeal.
The court has been informed of these developments, and the matter is under investigation.
