News
Rights group questions continuing deaths in police custody
… asks whether the suspect in handcuffs at the time posed a threat to police
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Attorney-at-law Senaka Perera says that the death of persons taken into custody by the police cannot be justified under any circumstances.
Activist Perera questioned the circumstances in which Dinithi Melan alias Uru Juwa who had been arrested by the Nawagamuwa police on Monday (10) died of gunshot injuries on the following day.
The police couldn’t absolve themselves of the responsibility for the safety and security of those who had been taken into custody even if they were under investigation over criminal activities, lawyer Perera said.
Responding to The Island queries, the activist said that in spite of quite a number of deaths in police custody over the years those responsible never took tangible measures to prevent such incidents.
The Public Security Ministry owed an explanation how the person in the custody of the Nawagamuwa police had received gunshot injuries when he was taken to a place at Waduramulla, Nawagamuwa on Tuesday, lawyer Perera said. The suspect obviously in handcuffs couldn’t have posed a threat to the armed police party accompanying him, Perera said, urging the government to rein in the police behaving like an extra-judicial killer force.
Lawyer Perera said that the Justice Ministry, Public Security Ministry, the Office of the Attorney General, the National Police Commission, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) should be concerned about continuing deaths in police custody.
The bottom line was the police bypassed the judicial process and summarily got rid of persons whom they considered a threat, the Attorney-at-Law said.
The civil society activist challenged DIG (Legal) and Attorney-at-Law Ajith Rohana’s version of the events leading to the death of Dinithi Melan.
Based on information provided by the Nawagamuwa police, DIG Rohana said that ‘Uru Juwa’ had been wanted in connection with at least four killings, about 20 cases of taking ransoms and a number of other incidents. The top police official said that ‘Uru Juwa’ had been responsible for incidents during the 2015-2019 period and was being taken by the police to Wanduramulla, where the police opened fire during an incident.
Later, the police recovered five swords, one locally made weapon, 38 rounds of T 56 ammunition, eight rounds of 9mm ammunition and six hand grenades, DIG Rohana said, adding that the suspect was pronounced dead on admission to the local hospital.
DIG Rohana said that Western Province (South) police were conducting an inquiry into the incident under the supervision of a Superintendent of Police.
Lawyer Perera said that a lawyer visited the late Dinithi Melan at the Nawagamuwa police and his arrest was also brought to the notice of Police Emergency and the HRCSL. Responding to another query, the rights activist said that the arrested person hadn’t been produced before a Magistrate.
Lawyer Perera challenged the police to reveal previous investigations conducted into deaths in police custody. According to him, Samarasinghe Arachchige Madush Lakshitha alias Makandure Madush was killed in what the police claimed a shootout between them and the underworld at Applewatte Housing scheme in Oct 2020. Following the incident, the police made the usual claim of recovering heroin and promised a thorough investigation, lawyer Perera pointed out. “We would like to know the outcome of the internal police inquiry into the Madush killing,” lawyer Perera said.
The police never explained how Madush having been in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) since May 5, 2019 suddenly led the CCD (Colombo Crime Division) to major heroin recoveries just few days of taking the suspect into their custody on Oct 16, 2020, lawyer Perera said. Madush was killed in questionable circumstances four days after the CID handed him over to the CCD, the lawyer alleged.
The human rights activist said that the Parliament should look into deaths in police custody. According to him, there had been a substantial number of deaths in police custody during the previous Rajapaksa administration as well. However, the change of government in January 2015 resulted in a change of the situation for the better, lawyer Perera said, urging the media, both print and electronic, to be cautious in the reportage of deaths in police custody.
Perera said that his organization didn’t oppose law enforcement authorities taking a tough stand on those accused of criminal activity. However, extra-judicial executions couldn’t be part of the police strategy meant to address organized crime, lawyer Perera said.
The possibility of various interested parties, including political elements using the police for ulterior purposes. The police shouldn’t undermine public confidence in them, the lawyer urged law enforcement authorities.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
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