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Students cry foul over arrests but university stands firm
Fourteen undergraduates of Sri Jayawardenapura University arrested by police for allegedly assaulting a security guard were granted bail of Rs. 50,000 each on Friday by the Nugegoda Magistrate. The next hearing is due on July 11.
Mirihana police arrested the 14 second-year students of the Arts Faculty on Monday on charges of assaulting the university security guard and damaging the security post at the university on February 24.
The protest on Thursday. Pic by Jayamal Chandrasiri
About 1000 undergraduates of the university held a protest on Thursday against the arrest.
“Most of the students who were arrested had not been part of the mob involved in the clash (on February 24),” claimed Sampath Wickramasinghe, President of the Students Union of Sri Jayawardenapura University.
“One student among the 14 was at home when this incident took place, one was studying at the university as they were having exams at that time and another couple of students were off campus, working,” he added.
“What came before this clash was that a security guard had come to the hostel and threatened one of the students with class suspension over an issue they had had that evening,” Mr Wickremasinghe said, adding that a security officer had no right to threaten a student in that manner.
According to the Students Union president the clash was a result of the students’ anxiety over alleged continuous student suppression over past months.
He said 122 cases of class suspension, 127 court cases and 40 cases of expulsion of students had taken place and in addition undergrads were being threatened over the phone.
“On every previous occasion when students attempted to take action over their anxieties we have restrained them so I don’t see that incident as the students’ fault,” he added.
The media spokesperson for the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura, Dr. Praneeth Abeysundara said the violence had begun after a security official asked the then first-year students not to harass newcomers.
Speaking about the disciplinary actions taken by the University, Senior Lecturer Udaya Kumara Amarasinghe, disciplinarian of the university, said 19 students had been suspended for the time being.
“Although the victimised party had lodged complaints against 19 students who were identified as having been involved in the assault only 14 students were arrested,” he said.
“We have clearly identified three students who have been instigating most of these tense situations in the university for some time but for some reason they had not been arrested by the police,” Mr. Amarasinghe said.
“We began inquiries into all 19 students but couldn’t complete the investigation as the examinations were going on until March 28. Once the initial inquiry report is produced we will convene a disciplinary inquiry,” he said.
Police said that two more students had surrendered to the Magistrates Court on Friday and another three were yet to be arrested.