Fort Police OIC intimidated me before my lawyer – Journo complains to HRCSL

A representative of the Young Journalists Association (YJA), who went to lodge a complaint with the Fort Police over the misconduct of two senior police officials over the October 10th protest held in Galle Face, said he was intimidated by the Fort Police OIC in the presence of his lawyer.

YJA President Tharindu Jayawardena had gone to Fort Police Station on Tuesday with the association’s Treasurer Nirosh Maithree and his Attorney Tharindu Ratnayake to lodge a complaint against the misconduct of two senior police officials who obstructed a peaceful protest held at the Galle Face Green last Monday (10).

Jayawardena told the Daily Mirror that they went to lodge a complaint against the misconduct of ASP Nalin Dilruk and SSP Roshan Dias who had obstructed the peaceful protest claiming the organisers had not obtained prior permission for it, even though the police had been duly informed about it.

Jaywardena and the other two had gone to lodge the complaint at the Minor Offense Branch when the branch OIC had asked them to lodge it with the Station OIC.

“We were waiting for the Fort OIC to arrive when two suspects who were in police custody in the station managed to escape and flee. One of the suspects was captured and brought back to the station when upon arrival the Fort OIC Sagara Liyanage had jumped and kicked the suspect,” Jayawardena said.

“Since the suspect let out a loud cry following the kicking I started recording a voice clip on my mobile phone discretely to capture the following events. I also asked my colleague Nirosh Maithree to inform our fellow journalists who were waiting outside the police station regarding the incident.

Shortly after we were summoned to the OIC’s room and after we introduced ourselves I told the OIC about the purpose of our visit. OIC Liyanage then told us that since it was a complaint against his station that we should go and lodge the complaint with the Police Headquarters,” Jayawardena said.

“We explained to him that this was against the conduct of two senior officials and these kinds of complaints had previously been lodged with the Fort Police. However, since he refused to accept our complaint we were about to leave for the Police Headquarters.

At that moment, OIC Liyanage stood up from his desk and advanced towards me after pushing me. He then grabbed my hand tight and intimidated me asking whether I tried to record our conversation. Out of extreme fear that he would kick me too I said I did not record any,” Jayawardena said.

“Then he tried to grab my mobile phone but I held firm onto it not letting go and all this happened in the presence of my lawyer. I instantly asked my lawyer to inform the journalists waiting outside the station and that moment he let me go, and when we were returning I heard him saying don’t come with cellular phones again,” Jayawardena said.

Following this incident, YJA representatives had gone to Police Headquarters and lodged two complaints, one against the two senior officials disrupting the peaceful protest and another against the Fort Police OIC.

He had then complained the entire incident to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL). Jayawardena said that he was intimidated, forcibly held and even insulted inside the Fort Police Station violating his fundamental rights and had copied his complaint to the President Bar Association of Sri Lanka Saliya Peiris, PC.

When contacted Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said he was not aware of the incident but if the headquarters had received any complaint the IGP would definitely direct the relevant authorities to conduct an impartial inquiry. (Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana)