- Sulochana’s notebooks allegedly snatched at Karapitiya Hospital
In a serious allegation raising fresh concerns over press freedom, a senior journalist attached to Ceylon Today has accused individuals claiming to be police officers of disrupting her professional duties, verbally abusing her, and forcibly seizing her notebooks while she was interviewing Iranian sailors at the Karapitiya Hospital, Galle.
Deputy Editor Sulochana Ramiah Mohan has lodged a complaint with the Galle Police, alleging the incident occurred while she was gathering information from Iranian sailors who are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
According to Ramiah Mohan, she was carrying out her duties in a lawful and professional manner, with translation assistance from an official attached to the Iranian Embassy, who was present at the time of the incident. She has stated that a group identifying themselves as police officers intervened without justification, obstructed her work, and forcibly removed her notebooks.
The journalist has further alleged that a police officer and a security personnel present at the scene subjected her to verbal abuse, including the use of obscene language, while preventing her from continuing her interview.
She has since informed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) via telephone regarding the matter and proceeded to lodge a formal complaint with the Galle Police.
However, when inquiries were made from the Galle Police regarding the complaint, officials reportedly stated that no such complaint had been received. Ramiah Mohan has also claimed that she was not provided with a complaint reference number at the time of filing.
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from the Free Media Movement (FMM), which described the alleged actions as an unnecessary and unwarranted police intervention that directly obstructed the media’s right to engage in free and independent professional activity.
In a statement, the FMM called upon the IGP to conduct an immediate and impartial investigation into the incident and to take appropriate disciplinary and legal action against those responsible.
The organisation warned that any attempt to intimidate or harass journalists in the discharge of their duties poses a grave threat to media freedom and democratic accountability.
When contacted by The Daily Morning late last evening, Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler said the journalist had lodged a complaint with the Galle ASP’s Office.
“The ASP is carrying out an inquiry into this. If any of the officers have done anything wrong, they’ll be dealt with in a court of law, and also disciplinary procedures,” he said.