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Deaths in police custody continue
By Shanika Udawatte
Despite repeated attempts by human rights activists and assurances given by the police top brass to stop torture, little seems to be taking place to put an end to deaths in police custody.

The latest victim of an alleged police assault was S A Kulatunge, a 27-year-old youth who died at the Colombo National Hospital last Wednesday after suffering head injuries while in the custody of the Nivitigala police, The police claim the injuries were due to a fall from the police vehicle while he was being transported.

ASP Devasiri Malimbada who is heading the probe into the death told The Sunday Times there was evidence that the victim had been allegedly assaulted by policemen using bare hands. Two police sergeants and two constables have been interdicted.According to Nivitigala police, the suspect was arrested around 7 p.m. on November 9 as he had been drunk and disorderly.

The policemen had taken him to the station in a three-wheeler and later tried to take him for a medical test, as it was required to prove that he was under the influence of liquor. The policemen claimed that while he was being taken in a police jeep for the medical examination he tried to jump out of the vehicle but fell down and suffered injuries to his head.

Human rights activists, however, raise doubts over this claim questioning how a suspect had been able to open the door and jump out of the back of a police jeep when policemen had been seated at the back of the vehicle to guard the suspect.

The victim had first been taken to the Nivitigala hospital after the incident and then to the Ratnapura hospital and later transferred to the Colombo National Hospital.
The post-mortem report states that death was due to head injuries received in a fall.
A spokesman for the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka said that up to date 10 deaths and 460 cases of police torture had been reported to it.

'We have even had a conferences with the former IGP regarding this issue' he added.
Over six deaths due to alleged police torture have been reported during the past six months from police stations in various parts of the island.

Okandahewa Jina-dasa who died on September 5, 2003 at the Okkampitiya police post, R. M. Lokubanda who died after being arrested by the Maturata police on August 28, 2003 and G K Sanjeewa who died at the Kadawata police station are some of the most recent incidents.

Sunil Hemachan-dra and I. P. Wijesiri too died at the Moragahahena and Weliveriya police stations respectively during the past few months, allegedly due to police brutality.

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