The petitioner was arrested by a Sub Inspector of Police on 22.12.1996 for alleged attempt to rob a motor bicycle; but the petitioner was not informed of the reason for the arrest. The Sub Inspector threatened the petitioner with a pistol and ordered a police constable to remove him to the Marawila Police Station. At the police station, the petitioner was handcuffed after which he was slapped by the Officer in Charge of the Police Station. Thereafter, the petitioner was stripped, hung on a beam on the orders of the…
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DISSANAYAKE v. PREMARATNE, INSPECTOR OF POLICE, NUWARA-ELIYA S.C. (SPECIAL) NO. 117/97 WITH S.C. APPLICATION NO. 858/97
On a message sent by the Police, the petitioner called over at the Nuwara-Eliya Police Station at about 3 p.m. on 8.5.1997 with his wife, petitioner in S.C. Application No. 858/97. They were detained at the Police Station until 5.30 p.m. on 9.5.1997 without being produced before a Magistrate when they were released on Police bail. The 1st respondent Inspector of Police and the 2nd, 4th and 5th respondents who were subordinate officers subjected the petitioner to torture on both days. His hands and feet were tied together. A pole…
Read MoreCHAMINDA v. GUNAWARDENA, OIC POLICE STATION, KATARAGAMA AND OTHERS S.C. (SPECIAL) NO. 106/97
On 20.02.1997 the Post Master, Central Post Office, Kataragama, made a complaint to the Kataragama Police regarding a loss of monies from the Post Office safe. The petitioner was a messenger attached to that Post Office; but there was no complaint against the petitioner. However, on the same day the 2nd respondent, an Inspector of Police (since dead), arrested the petitioner and took him to the police station. The 2nd respondent questioned the petitioner about the “theft”, slapped him on the left ear and knocked his head on a wall.…
Read MoreSUBASINGHE v. POLICE CONSTABLE SANDUN AND OTHERS S.C. (SPECIAL) NO. 235/96
On 26.11.1996 the petitioner made a complaint to the 3rd respondent (OIC, Dankotuwa Police) regarding a commercial transaction. On the evening of that day, the 1st respondent police constable met the petitioner at the Dankotuwa Public Market and threatened to teach him a “good lesson”. The next day, the 1st respondent and another police officer (the 2nd respondent) arrested the petitioner at the Dankotuwa Public Market and took him to the police station. Thereafter the 1st respondent assaulted the petitioner with hands, kicked him and also beat him with a…
Read MoreABEYWICKREMA v. GUNARATNA AND THREE OTHERS S.C. SPL 93/96.
The petitioner who is a three wheeler driver has taken a passenger on hire; and after arriving at the Police Station with the passenger as requested by him, he was assaulted by the Police taken into custody and produced before the A.J.M.O. According to the petitioner, on 7th July 1996 he has taken a passenger to Ragama on hire and had returned with the said passenger around 7 p.m. The passenger had gone into his place of lodging to bring the money to pay the hire due to the petitioner…
Read MoreDISSANAYAKE, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW ON BEHALF OF K. M. LAL v. SUJEEWA, SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE, MEETIYAGODA POLICE STATION AND OTHERS S.C. APPLICATION NO. 524/96
At the time this application was filed the victim Lai was unconscious. Subsequently he tendered an affidavit. It was alleged that close to midnight on 02. 06. 1996 when he was sleeping in his house, the 1st respondent and other police officers arrived and arrested him. He was taken to the Meetiyagoda Police station. In the early hours 03. 06. 1996 the 1st respondent assaulted him with hands and feet and a club when he lost consciousness. Later that day the police admitted the victim to Batapola hospital. As per…
Read MoreRIFAIDEEN v. SUB-INSPECTOR OF POLICE JAYALATH, WELLAWATTE POLICE STATION AND OTHERS SC (SPL) NO. 71/96
The petitioner who was 59 years old, was a “broker* by profession. He has averred that on 27.05.1996, the 1st respondent with some other police officers attached to the Police Station, Wellawatte, took him into custody while he was travelling from Panadura to Colombo. The petitioner alleges that he was taken to the Police Station and was assaulted by the 1st respondent at the instigation of the 2nd respondent. The allegation is that the petitioner was assaulted with sand filled S-lon pipes and he thereby sustained injuries to his head,…
Read MorePRIYANKARA v. PC SISIRA KUMARA, POLICE STATION, PUTTALAM AND OTHERS SC APPLICATION NO 214/96 (SPL.)
The petitioner was travelling in a Puttalam bound bus when a passenger boarded the bus with a lighted cigarette. When the conductor of the bus attempted to stop the smoking, the passenger retaliated by using obscene language. At that stage the petitioner intervened. Then also the passenger retaliated by using obscene language. When the bus reached the Puttalam bus stand the passenger challenged the petitioner. The petitioner attempted to escape but the passenger assaulted the petitioner repeatedly. Thereafter, the petitioner visited the Puttalam Police Station and complained to the OIC,…
Read MoreNALIKA KUMUDINI, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW, (ON BEHALF OF MALSHA KUMARI) v. NIHAL MAHINDA, O.I.C. HUNGAMA POLICE AND OTHERS S.C. APPLICATION (F.R.) NO. 615/95
Malsha Kumari a 14 year old girl was arrested at her house by police officers of the Hungama Police Station. She was questioned about the theft of a gold chain and assaulted by Police Officers both at the time of her arrest and at the Police Station. The 1st respondent, officer- in-charge of the Police Station, assaulted her with a hose-pipe and trampled her. Thereafter her hands were tied behind her back and she was hung on a tree with a rope. While she remained hung the 1st respondent beat…
Read MoreConvention Against Torture And Other Cruel, Inhuman Or Degrading Treatment Or Punishment Act No 22 of 1994 ( Sinhala , Tamil, English)
WHEREAS a Convention against Torture and other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, was signed in New York on December 10, 1984: AND WHEREAS by an instrument of accession dated December 14, 1993, and deposited with the Secretary- General of the United Nations Organization, on January 3, 1994, Sri Lanka has acceded to the aforesaid Convention : AND WHEREAS the aforesaid Convention has entered into force for Sri Lanka with effect from February 2, 1994: AND WHEREAS it has become necessary to make legislative provision to give effect to…
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