The police are the foremost institution for the rule of law and order in a country. The main functions of the police are to enforce the law equally for all and to establish and maintain individual liberty in society. But there have been frequent reports of torture and killings by the police, who have to act with such intent. We need to raise our voices on this police violence, not to mention the grief of those who go to the fence and picket fence. It is essential to raise this dialogue and our voice to create a police force that is closer to the citizen.
It is not uncommon in the history of the police for suspects to be arrested, detained, and brutally beaten in police custody. Police torture refers to many things, including physical and mental abuse, such as arrests, assaults, threats, intimidation, and forcible signing of false statements.
Hakmana view
Such is the story of Madushanka who was recently assaulted by the Hakmana police. First, let’s hear Madushanka’s voice. “On January 6, 2021, my two brothers and several relatives in Ratnapura and Embilipitiya came to see my mother at my house ill. Since all these people were at my house that night, we had a small party. While we were having a drink and singing, Chandra’s uncle came to the next house at around 09.00 pm and had fun drinking with us. I got drunk between 11.00 and 11.30 at night and the others continued the party. On 07.01.2021, between 12.45 and 01.00 in the morning, I woke up to a loud noise and at that moment I heard the sound of fighting from Chandra’s uncle’s house. When I went there, Chandra’s uncle and aunt were scolding my brothers. I asked our family why this is. There was a small conversation when my aunt scolded my brothers for giving us arrack to Chandra’s uncle. Then I brought all our family to my house. On 07.01.2021 at around 01.30 am in a jeep of the Hakmana Police About 5 police officers came to my house with Mr. Shantha Karanaratne. They were heavy drinkers. Mr. Karanaratne asked me who had beaten Chandra’s uncles, cursed at us, arrested me, handcuffed me and took me to the jeep parked in front of my house and continued beating me with a kitul stick to see if you were a thug. Then I was put in a jeep and taken to the Hakmana Police at around 02.00 in the morning. At that time Chandra’s uncle and aunt were in the police station. Mr. Karanaratne spoke to Chandra’s uncle and asked him if he had urinated. He hit me again with the kithul stick in his hand. Then I was handed over to another group of police officers, who kicked me in the arm. I could not stand up straight and the police took me to Ellawala Hospital. Before leaving, I was told not to say a single word in front of the doctor, and if I did, I would be shot. ”
Abeysiriwardena Samaraweera Danushka Maduranga, a resident of 112/2, Pitakatuwanage Estate, Muruthamura, Hakmana, has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman in this manner. What right does the police have to arrest a woman just because she has beaten these people and treat them so violently? We must question. According to Danushka Maduranga, they were drunk when the police arrived at the scene of the raid. Working on arrack is a serious offense.
Danushka was taken to the hospital to get a medical report and was brutally assaulted even after taking the report back to the police. “Between 04.00 and 04.30 in the morning, the police took my motorbike from my house to the police and showed me the motorbike and asked me where it was. I was brutally beaten with a machete, and my brothers were questioned during the attack. These attacks left my whole body bruised, cracked, swollen, scratched, and my leg damaged. I vomited because I was hit in the head and I am still fainting. I now have abdominal pain, bleeding with urination, and numbness in the right arm. After being produced before the Deiyandara court, I told the court that I had been beaten by the police. I also showed the injuries sustained in the assault in court and the magistrate ordered me to be referred to a forensic doctor by fiscal. ” At the same time Danushka Maduranga will be granted bail. The police, who were involved in an altercation between two neighboring houses, behaved in a disgraceful manner. The police who are supposed to uphold the law have come in drunk and broken the law and behaved violently as they wished. The police should be more careful about police officers behaving in this manner. Justice should be done to Danushka who was tortured by the police.