Police Spokesperson Assistant Superintendent of Police F.U. Wootler has rejected a statement attributed to him in a press release issued by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) regarding the death of a young man while in the custody of the Homagama Police.

He stressed that he had never made the statement referred to by the Bar Association and expressed regret over the BASL’s remarks.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka had earlier issued a statement expressing serious concern over the death of a 29-year-old, who died while in the custody of the Homagama Police.

In its statement, the BASL said family members of the deceased had reported observing physical injuries that appeared to indicate he had been severely assaulted. However, according to the association, the Police Spokesperson had reportedly stated that the suspect had suffered a sudden medical emergency during an operation.

The BASL in its statement stressed the importance of independently establishing the circumstances surrounding the death and conducting a transparent investigation into the conflicting statements and concerns that had emerged.

However, ASP F.U. Wootler reiterated that he had never made the statement attributed to him and firmly rejected the Bar Association’s claim.