SC orders them to pay Rs 2 mn as compensation to petitioner

The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday (14) ordered Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon and three other police officers to pay Rs. 2 million in compensation out of their personal funds to a petitioner identified as W. Ranjith Sumangala for violating his fundamental rights, while being detained at the Mirihana Police Station.

The judgment was delivered by Justice S. Thurairaja with Justices Kumudini Wickremasinghe and Priyantha Fernando agreeing.

The SC held that four police officers including Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon had violated the fundamental rights of petitioner Sumangala by arresting and detaining him illegally and torturing him at the Mirihana Police Station, which was under the supervision of Deshabandu Tennakoon in 2011.

A person named Ajith Wanasundera involved in the incident was also held liable and ordered to pay compensation.The SC ordered the State to pay a compensation of Rs.100,000 to the petitioner.The Supreme Court ordered the National Police Commission to take disciplinary action against Tennakoon and other police officers.