Video: Kanthilatha’s mother arrested by police and remanded

3 October 2014 02:51 pm

The counsel appearing for the 35-year old woman, who was allegedly assaulted by a policeman at the Ratnapura bus terminal, said today his clients’ 65-year-old mother had been arrested on Wednesday and remanded over false allegations of prostitution.

“The victim- Kanthilatha’s mother was taken by the Police while she was visiting a shop in Ratnapura claiming they wanted to know a few details. But they arrested her on false allegations instead of questioning and had produced her before the magistrate yesterday morning. She was remanded for seven days on charges of prostitution,” Counsel Udul Premaratne said.   

He said the Police could not arrest persons without any charges or only because their relatives committed a crime.“The interesting part is that the Police Spokesman has denied the arrest of Kanthilatha’s mother when she was arrested in Ratnapura and also remanded for a week,” he said.

Kanthilatha accompanied by the Counsel today lodged a complaint at the Police Headquarters urging justice to be meted to her.

“I have two children. My husband left us 10 years ago and I don’t even have my father. I’m the one who takes care of my children and my old mother. Poverty has driven me to this condition today. The police officer who assaulted me made a few moves but I rejected them saying I don’t want to do anything with police officers,” Kanthilatha said.

She said the police officer had assaulted her out of nowhere when she was visiting the town one day. Following the incident she had made a complaint to the Ratnapura police the same day but the police had later denied her making a complaint.

“Some police officers approached me one day and held me captive in a hotel room after the assault incident. They even offered me Rs.3,000 and also three heroin packets. Another officer took me to the police station later that day and then the police officers asked me to settle the incident,” she said.

She said some of participants in the pro-police protest against her had also been with her and were now turning a blind eye on her. (Sanath Desmond and Lahiru pothmulla)