Four police officers interdicted over assault on law student

Four police officers – 03 Constables and one Inspector – have been interdicted for allegedly assaulting a law student at the Peliyagoda police station.

Several offices attached to Peliyagoda Police had reportedly assaulted a law student named Migara Gunaratne yesterday (February 25).

The victimized student was identified as the son of former Central Province Governor, President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne and the brother of Attorney-at-Law Charitha Gunaratne.

Reports revealed that 10 police officers had assaulted him when he arrived at Peliyagoda Police to visit a suspect detained at the station.

Minister of Public Security Dr. Sarath Weerasekera subsequently directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana Wickramaratne to probe the incident and to suspend the officers involved in the assault.

Meanwhile, Police Headquarters, issuing a statement on the incident, said 08 suspects – 04 Nigerian males, 02 Belarussian females, one Sri Lankan male and one Sri Lankan female – were arrested on Tuesday (February 23) for possession of 25g 120mg of heroin, racketeering narcotics, defrauding more than Rs. 1.7 million, possession of 25 bundles of paper used for printing counterfeit currency as well as commercial sex work.

The arrest was made by several officers of Kelaniya Division’s crimes unit including Chief Inspector of Police Linton de Silva, the statement pointed out. Reports revealed the said officer is also accused of assaulting the victim.

According to the Police, the law student had arrived at the police station to visit the Sri Lankan female in custody at around 8.35 pm.

On the directives of IGP, two police teams are probing the incident further, the statement read further.