SRI LANKA: An innocent man remains in detention since August 2008 after being tortured into a confession by the TID

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-136-2011
ISSUES: Arbitrary arrest & detention, Fabrication of charges, Impunity, Rule of law, Torture,

Dear friends, 

Mr. Kalappam Manoharan (32) of Ratwatte Lower Division, Ukuwela in the Matale district was illegally arrested by officers attached to the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) branch of Kandy Headquarters Police Station on 11 August 2008. Monoharan, a casual labourer, lived in the same village his whole life. After he was arrested he was severely tortured and later forced to sign a document prepared bythe police officers. Later he was produced before three Magistrate’s Courts; Kandy, Matale and Dambulla accused with fabricated charges which he vehemently denied. He remains in remand even now. This case is yet another illustration of theexceptional collapse of the rule of law in the country. 

CASE NARRATIVE: 

According to the information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Mr. Kalappam Manoharan (32) of Ratwatte Lower Division, Ukuwela in the Matale district waa casual labourer and is married to Ms. Yogeshwari. They have a young son. 

The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) branch of Kandy Headquarters Police Station sent a message to Manoharan to come and make a statement on the 11 August 2008 and when he went to the TID branch he waarrested aa suspect who haassisted the LTTE. 

Letter he learned from his wife thaa woman by the name of Anthony Chandra from Ukuwela waarrested aan LTTE suspect and when she was tortured by the TID anasked about the names of her neighbours she mentioned Monoharan. Manoharanvehemently states that he does not have any connection or knowledge about any organization in the North of Sri Lanka or any political party. Further he says that he does not have any relatives from thaarea either. 

He was severely tortured by the TID officers in Kandy while in detention athe Kandy TIDbranch. Followinthe torture he waasked to sign documents which he did to escape being further torture. 

He wathen transferred to Kadugannawa Police Station where he was detained for six months and produced before the Magistrate of Kandy. He wathen detained at Bogambara Remand Prison where he remains as of this date. 

Later the officers attached to the TID filed three cases with fabricated charges. One case was filed in Magistrate’s Court of Dambullaanother one wain the Magistrate’s Court of Kandy anthe third case was filed in the Magistrate’s Court of Matale. Monoharancategorically denied all these cases and states that officers of the TID filed these cases to cover up the torture thatheinflicted on him. 

Manoharan believes thathe blank papers that he signed were used by the TID officers to prove that he had made a confessionThe so-called confession is written in Sinhalaalanguage he cannot speak read or write. 

Manoharan has been languishinin the police cells anin the remand prison since 2008. Later he found out that followinthe TID prepared fabricated documents anthe Attorney General has filed a fourth cased against him in the High Court of Kandy under the case number HC/ 52/2010 still usinthe confession that was extracted due to torture by the TID

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: 

The Asian Human Rights Commission has reported innumerable cases of the torture of innocent persons anthe filing of fabricated charges by the Sri Lankan police. Both practices are illegal under internationaand local laand have taken place at different Police Stations in the country over the past few years. 

The State of Sri Lanka signed and ratified the CAT on 3 January 1994. Following state obligations Sri Lanka adopted Act number 22 of 1994 the laadopted by the Sri Lankanparliament making torture a crime that can be punishable for minimum seven years and not less than ten years on being proven guilty. The Attorney General of Sri Lanka is suppose to file indictments in the case where credible evidence were found on torturing people bystate officers. 

SUGGESTED ACTION: 
Please send a letter to the authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case and requestinan immediate investigation into the allegations of illegaarrest, illegadetention and failing fabricated charges by the police perpetrators, anthe prosecution of those proven to be responsible under the criminal law of the country for misusing powers of a state. The officers involved must also be subjected to internainvestigations for thebreach of the department orders as issued by the police department. Further, please also request the National Police Commission anthe Inspector General of Police to have aspeciainvestigation into the malpractices of the police officers for abusinthe state officers’ powers. 

Please note thathe AHRC haalso written a separate letter to the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment on this regard. 

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear ________, 

SRI LANKA: An innocent man remains in detention since August 2008 after beingtortured into a confession by the TID 

Name of the victim: Mr. Kalappam Manoharan (32) of Ratwatte Lower Division, Ukuwelain the Matale district 
Alleged perpetrator: Police officers attached to the TID branch of Kandy Headquarters Police Station 
Date of incident: 11 August 2008 
Place of incident: TID branch of Kandy Headquarters Police Station 

am writing to express my serious concern over the case of Mr. Kalappam Manoharan (32) of Ratwatte Lower Division, Ukuwela in the Matale district. Manoharan waa casual labourer and is married to Ms. Yogeshwari. They have a young son. 

The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) branch of Kandy Headquarters Police Station sent a message to Manoharan to come and make a statement on the 11 August 2008 and when he went to the TID branch he waarrested aa suspect who haassisted the LTTE. 

Letter he learned from his wife thaa woman by the name of Anthony Chandra from Ukuwela waarrested aan LTTE suspect and when she was tortured by the TID anasked about the names of her neighbours she mentioned Monoharan. Manoharanvehemently states that he does not have any connection or knowledge about any organization in the North of Sri Lanka or any political party. Further he says that he does not have any relatives from thaarea either. 

He was severely tortured by the TID officers in Kandy while in detention athe Kandy TIDbranch. Followinthe torture he waasked to sign documents which he did to escape being further torture. 

He wathen transferred to Kadugannawa Police Station where he was detained for six months and produced before the Magistrate of Kandy. He wathen detained at Bogambara Remand Prison where he remains as of this date. 

Later the officers attached to the TID filed three cases with fabricated charges. One case was filed in Magistrate’s Court of Dambullaanother one wain the Magistrate’s Court of Kandy anthe third case was filed in the Magistrate’s Court of Matale. Monoharancategorically denied all these cases and states that officers of the TID filed these cases to cover up the torture thatheinflicted on him. 

Manoharan believes thathe blank papers that he signed were used by the TID officers to prove that he had made a confessionThe so-called confession is written in Sinhalaalanguage he cannot speak read or write. 

Manoharan has been languishinin the police cells anin the remand prison since 2008. Later he found out that followinthe TID prepared fabricated documents anthe Attorney General has filed a fourth cased against him in the High Court of Kandy under the case number HC/ 52/2010 still usinthe confession that was extracted due to torture by the TID

I request your urgent intervention to ensure thathe authorities listed below instigate animmediate investigation into the allegations of illegaarrest, illegadetention, torture by thepolice perpetrators, anthe prosecution of those proven to be responsible under thecriminal law of the country for misusing powers of state officers and for wrongful prosecution. The officers involved must also be subjected to internainvestigations for thebreach of the department orders as issued by the police department. 

Yours sincerely, 

——————— 
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: 

1. Mr. N K Illangakoon 
Inspector General of Police 
New Secretaria
Colombo 1 
SRI LANKA 
Fax: +94 11 2 440440 / 327877 
E-mail: igp@police.lk 

2. Mr. Mohan Peiris 
Attorney Genera
Attorney General’s Department 
Colombo 12 
SRI LANKA 
Fax: +94 11 2 436421 
E-mail: ag@attorneygeneral.gov.lk 

3. Secretary 
National Police Commission 
3rd Floor, Rotunda Towers 
109 Galle Roa
Colombo 03 
SRI LANKA 
Tel: +94 11 2 395310 
Fax: +94 11 2 395867 
E-mail: npcgen@sltnet.lk or polcom@sltnet.lk 

4. Secretary 
Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission 
No. 108 
Barnes Place 
Colombo 07 
SRI LANKA 
Tel: +9411 2694925, +9411 2685980, +9411 2685981 
Fax: +9411 2694924 (General) +94112696470 (Chairman
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk 

Thank you. 

Urgent Appeals Programme 
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia

Document Type : Urgent Appeal Case
Document ID : AHRC-UAC-136-2011
Countries : Sri Lanka,
Issues : Arbitrary arrest & detention, Fabrication of charges, Impunity, Rule of law, Torture,