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Another incident of police brutality in Batticaloa

24 Oct 2021

By Shahaen Vishak and Pamodi Waravita Two incidents of alleged police brutality were reported from the Batticaloa District last week, with the latest incident being of a person who was assaulted by a police officer for committing a minor traffic violation. “The policeman had stopped the victim when he was riding his motorbike, claiming he had committed a minor traffic offense. Following words exchanged between them, the policeman assaulted him. Afterwards, the Police had told him that they would drop charges if he refuses to get admitted to hospital. However, since he had gone to hospital, the Police have remanded him on charges of obstruction of duty, allegedly without being produced before a magistrate in person,” sources close to the incident told The Morning yesterday (24). Video footage emerged last Friday (22) showing officers attached to the Eravur Police Station in the Batticaloa District, brutally attacking civilians opposite the Marliya rice mill. The Morning reported at the time that an inquiry had begun into the incident. Batticaloa District Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam tweeted last Saturday (23) that Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekera was in touch with him regarding the matter, and had told him that the policeman involved in the incident was interdicted, and will be charged. Many incidents of alleged police brutality were brought to prominence this year, including the case of Chandran Vidushan, who was allegedly assaulted by police officers in the Eravur Police station in Batticaloa prior to his death a few hours later.


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