Identification parade for six Mirihana protestors to be held as scheduled

03 Apr 2022

Identification parade for six Mirihana protestors to be held as scheduled

03 Apr 2022

By Dinitha Rathnayake Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Attorney-At-Law (AAL) Nihal Thalduwa said yesterday (3) that the identification parade for six of the protestors who were arrested following the protest near the President’s residence in Mirihana last Thursday (31) night will happen today (4), as per the court order issued last Friday (1). Speaking to The Morning yesterday, Thalduwa said: “As of now, there have been no reports of the identification parade being postponed, as this is a court order. If there is a postponement, that will only happen at the court tomorrow (today). Thus, it will go ahead tomorrow (today).” Last Thursday night, a people’s protest was held in Mirihana, Nugegoda, close to Pangiriwatte Lane, which houses the private residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Video reports show an individual setting fire to a bus, as well as protestors attempting to topple the barricades at the entrance to the lane. Tear gas and water cannons were used against the protestors by the Police, and 53 suspects were arrested following the incident. Many among them alleged that they were severely assaulted and tortured by the Police and the armed forces, which has since led to a large public outcry. Out of the 53 suspects who were arrested, 27 were produced before the Gangodawila Magistrate Court last Friday. While 21 of them were granted bail, six of them were ordered to be produced before an identification parade today. Twenty-six of the arrested suspects who were not produced before the court last Friday, as they were undergoing treatment at the Kalubowila Hospital, will also be produced in court today. The Mount Lavinia Magistrate visited them over the weekend. In total, 32 of them still remain in remand custody. Speaking at a media briefing held yesterday, National People’s Power (NPP) member AAL Sunil Watagala explained the court proceedings that took place last Friday. “About 52 people were arrested and some were produced in front of the Gangodawila Magistrate’s Court. The Attorney General (AG) requested that they be put in jail under the Offences Against Public Property Act (No. 12 of 1982), as a bus was set on fire and several other vehicles were destroyed during the protest. This is a usual tactic in this country when the rulers want to put somebody inside,” he claimed. “The Magistrate only asked one question – were any of the individuals involved in the burning of the bus or the destruction of vehicles amongst those produced in court? The answer was no. The main reason that some were granted bail is because there was no proof at all for the alleged actions.” Protests have become a common sight around the island in the past three months, as citizens’ calls for the supply of basic essentials such as fuel, electricity, food items, and gas have been increasing. Alongside this, the “#GoHomeGota” hashtag has proven popular across social media. A large protest was also planned by several groups of people to be held yesterday. However, following the incidents of last Thursday, the President declared a state of emergency, imposed a curfew, and temporarily blocked several social media applications over the weekend, resulting in several smaller protests occurring around the country instead.

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Identification parade for six Mirihana protestors to be held as scheduled

Identification parade for six Mirihana protestors to be held as scheduled

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