Police chief Indra de Silva has ordered an inquiry into the assault of Jaffna Regional Human Rights Commissioner Ruwan Chandrasekara and Human Right investigative officer Feroze by a group of 25 to 30 police constables in civvies in the Jaffna police barracks on Monday.
IGP de Silva said though they initiated a prompt inquiry on a verbal complaint made by Human Rights Commission Chairperson Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, they were unable to proceed further as Mr. Chandrasekara and others who were allegedly assaulted had failed to make a statement. Mr. Chandrasekara had said they would make a written complaint through the HRC.
HRC Investigations and Inquiries Director Nimal Punchihewa said he was aware of a complaint that two of the commission's officers were abused and assaulted in the presence of a UN volunteer.
According to him, Mr. Feroze was not permitted to visit the police station where the two suspects were detained. He said as the headquarters inspector and the duty officer were not in, Mr. Feroze informed his regional commissioner Chandrasekera who approached Jaffna ASP Daya Seneviratne who had granted permission.
In the presence of the UN volunteer identified as Patrick, Mr. Chandrasekara and Mr Feroze proceeded to the barracks upstairs as they heard screams from that direction.
Mr. Punchihewa charged while they were approaching the place around 25 to 30 policemen in civvies abused them in filth, assaulted and pushed them away. He said in the meantime they had seen a person bundled into a truck that fled away.
But ASP Seneviratne had a slightly different version. He said on Sunday, two suspects were arrested in Jaffna for a series of robberies and were taken into custody.
One of them, against whom there were nine warrants, escaped the same day and sounded off others that he was allegedly tortured.
ASP Seneviratne said the suspect was re-arrested on Monday. He also said Mr. Punchihewa, and the UN volunteer came and met him seeking permission to visit the place as they were informed that there were yells from that direction..
ASP Seneviratne said he had sent them with a constable and five minutes later he heard a commotion from that direction.
He said the HRC officers and the UN volunteer had later come to him and divulged what had happened. However, he said, he had only permitted them to visit the particular room requested by them and not the police barracks which is their private living quarters.
Asked whether he saw a man being bundled into a truck that drove away, ASP Seneviratne said he saw the truck but noted that it was the vehicle that supplied food for the police mess. ASP Seneviratne said the man with nine warrants was produced before the Jaffna Magistrate yesterday.
Mr. Punchihewa said if there was no police action taken, the HRC would be forced to go before the Supreme Court as they had been prevented from performing their duties and in terms of the HRC Act they were empowered to visit places of detention. They were also attacked in the course of their duties.
