Migara Gunaratne, a final year student of the Law College, and brother of Charitha Gunarathne, was severely assaulted and injured at the Peliyagoda Police Station and in a police vehicle. Linton Silva, the Chief Inspector of the Peliyagoda Police and 10 other police officers had assaulted him with sticks and handcuffs while he was taking a food parcel to a client of his senior lawyer. Charitha Gunarathne stated, "On 23rd of February I was instructed by my Senior Counsel to go to the Peliyagoda Police Station to represent a long standing client of his. At the Police Station I was informed my Client was being held in the Special Crimes Unit, and once I made my way to the S.I.U, I witnessed my client being intimidated by a person in casual attire. I immediately stepped in and informed that person, who I believed to be a Police Officer, that this is my Client and I am here to represent his interest as an Attorney-at-Law and held out by BASL ID Card to verify my credentials." Attorney-at-Law Charitha Gunaratne has called the person in civilian clothes 'Sergeant'. It was later revealed that he was CI Linton Silva. Gunarathne said that Linton Silva had scolded him and had taken his lawyer's identity card and recorded the details in his notebooks. Two days after the incident, on February 25, on the instructions of Attorney-at-Law Charitha Gunaratne, his brother, law student Migara Gunaratne, who had many similarities with his appearance, went to the police with a packet of food. There, police officers assaulted Migara Gunaratne. However, no one has informed the police that Migara Gunaratne is the son of Central Province former Governor Maithri Gunaratne PC. At the same time, the police officers had taken him away in a police jeep bearing number NE 0825 and assaulted him again. Migara Gunaratne was admitted to the Ragama Hospital with serious injuries. At the same time, the doctors kept a record of the condition of the injured and the influence of the police. "Most assaults in a police station or assaults by police officers end up as interfering with the duties of police officers and filing other criminal charges against the suspects. The situation escalates to the point of threatening and assaulting lawyers," Charitha Gunaratne said. "Furthermore, they have only stopped beating Migara Gunaratne up after he had mentioned that he was the son of our father Maithri Gunaratne. Then one SI had instructed the others to charge him for obstruction of police duties because they knew that a problem may occur. They have further threatened to even make him a suspect in a drug related offence," stated Charitha Gunaratne. He further said, "The Legal Profession has been the last bastion to protect the General Public from the excesses of Police. If the Police has begun to actively target Attorneys who question their brutal tactics, what can the Public expect?" Meanwhile, the President-elect of BASL Saliya Pieris condemned the attack on the law student. "The news of a young final year law student Migara Gunaratne being subject to police brutality at Peliyagoda is appalling. There should be zero tolerance of police brutality. The perpetrators must be swiftly dealt with and prosecuted," he said. Pictures: Charitha Maithri Gunaratne