SRI LANKA: A man arbitrarily assaulted by the SI of the Horana Police Station without any reason

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal Case: UA-141-2004
ISSUES: Torture,

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a 42-year-old man named Rathnasiri Senadheera was arbitrarily assaulted by the sub inspector (SI) of the Horana Police Station on 29 September 2004. The victim was visiting his brother who was in police custody at the time of the incident. Due to the severe assault, Rathnasiri Senadheera was seriously injured and was admitted to the hospital for five days. The exact reason for his torture is unknown. There has been no action by the police to inquire into the incident or punish the responsible SI.    

Your urgent action is required to correct this matter. Please urge the local authorities to conduct an immediate inquiry into this case, and take legal/disciplinary action against the responsible police officer for unnecessary torture on the victim.     
 
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of the victim: Rathnasiri Senadheera, 42 years old, married with one child, a businessman
Address of the victim: Akkara 02, Ilambe Junction, Horana
Alleged perpetrator: Sub Inspector Saliya of the Horana Police Station
Date of the incident: 29 September 2004
Place of the incident: Horana Police Station

Case details: (Based on the victim’s account)
 
On 29 September 2004 at about 9:00am, Rathnasiri Senadheera went to the Horana Police Station to see his brother in police custody. He had some chat with his brother and left the station. When Rathnasiri Senadheera came back to the police station with a lunch box for his brother, sub inspector (SI) Saliya told him that he was waiting for him and seized him by the neck and dragged him inside the police station. 

SI Saliya then hit Rathnasiri Senadheera hard on the wall several times in front of his brother in the lock-up. After that, SI Saliya beat the victim with his fists on his abdomen and chest for about 15 minutes. Another policeman came to the SI and asked him not to assault Rathnasiri Senadheera. SI Saliya then stopped beating the victim and he was chased away by the police about 15 minutes later. The exact reason for the assault of the victim is unknown.  

At about 5:15pm on the same day, Rathnasiri Senadheera bailed out his brother from the Horana Police Station. Thereafter, he was admitted to the Horana District Hospital where he received treatment for five days. He was discharged on 5 October 2004. 

SUGGESTED ACTION:
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SAMPLE LETTER

Dear _______,

Re: SRI LANKA: A man arbitrarily assaulted by the SI of the Horana Police Station

Name of the victim: Rathnasiri Senadheera, 42 years old, married with one child, a businessman
Address of the victim: Akkara 02, Ilambe Junction, Horana
Alleged perpetrator: Sub Inspector Saliya of the Horana Police Station
Date of the incident: 29 September 2004
Place of the incident: Horana Police Station

I am deeply concerned by a case of police torture which took place in Horana Police Station on 29 September 2004. 

According to the information I have received, a man named Rathnasiri Senadheera was severely assaulted by sub inspector (SI) Saliya of the Horana Police Station without any reason. As a result of the torture, the victim was seriously injured and had to be admitted to hospital for five days. 

I urge you to inquire into this matter immediately and take disciplinary/legal action against the responsible SI. I also urge the responsible local authorities to provide compensation to the victim.   
 
Yours sincerely,

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SEND A LETTER TO:

1. Mr. Mahindra Rajapakse 
Prime Minister 
Cambridge Place 
Colombo 7 
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 682905 / 575454
E-mail: secpm@sltnet.lk or bradmanw@slt.lk

2. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan 
Attorney General 
Attorney General’s Department 
Colombo 12 
SRI LANKA 
Fax: +94 11 2 436 421 
Email: attorney@sri.lanka.net or counsel@sri.lanka.net

3. Mr. Chandra Fernando
Inspector General of Police (IGP) 
New Secretariat 
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA 
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/426711/327877

4. Mr. Ranjith Abeysuriya PC 
Chairperson 
National Police Commission 
69-1 Ward Place, Colombo 7 
SRI LANKA 
Fax: +94 11 2 669 528
Fax HOME: +94 11 2 674148
E-mail: polcom@sltnet.lk

5. Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy
Chairperson 
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka 
No. 36, Kynsey Road 
Colombo 8 
SRI LANKA 
Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806 
Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470 
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk

6. Mr. Theo C. van Boven 
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture 
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND 
Fax: +41 22 917 9016

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Prgoramme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)

Document Type : Urgent Appeal Case
Document ID : UA-141-2004
Countries : Sri Lanka,
Issues : Torture,