The State had decided to defend four police personnel accused of torture of a fellow police driver in the Ratnapura division.
When a fundamental rights petition filed by the police driver was taken up this week in the Supreme Court senior State Counsel Riyaz Hamsa said that originally the Attorney General was not representing the police as there was an alleged violation of Article 11 of the Constitution but subsequently after considering the appeal made by the respondent police officers the AG has taken a decision to represent them and moved for time to file their objections.
The driver was earlier granted leave to proceed in the fundamental fights petition filed against a group of police personnel who allegedly locked him in a cell in the Ratnapura station and beat him for not allowing their vehicle to overtake his vehicle during the Kandy Esala Perahera last year.
The petition filed by Amarakoon Dissanayake Sarath Kumara attached to the Angunakolapelessa Police Station was taken up this week.
He cited Ratnapura HQI Lalith Pussella, Ratnapura IP Wijewardena, Sergeant Dissanayake, and constable Gunawardena, all of Ratnapura Police Station, Dr. Athula Ratnaweera and the Attorney General as respondents.
Mr. Kumara said the incident took place somewhere near the Ratnapura Courts complex after he was returning from Perahera duty. He said his vehicle was overtaken by the other police vehicle and HQI Pussella who had been in that vehicle approached his vehicle, grabbed the ignition key from his vehicle, abused him in foul language before he and another person in his vehicle were taken to the Ratnapura station.
The petitioner said that he was produced in the Ratnapura Magistrate’s Court on August 25 and released on bail even though he was not informed of the charges framed against him. He said that he reported to work but he was unable to perform his duties properly as he was suffering from severe headaches and was in pain after the assault. He said he was then admitted to the Chandrikawewa district hospital for four days.
The Bench comprising Justices G.Amaratunge. P.A. Ratnayake and I. Imam granted six weeks from June 11 to the respondents to file objections and said that no extension would be granted.Hearing was listed for October 14. |
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