An innocent man is shot dead - the police

officers must be charged with murder (2)

16 June 2014
The Asian
Human Rights Commission
(AHRC) has received
information regarding unlaful
!illing of a "oung man #" the $ri
%an!an &olice' $u#ash (ndi!a
Ja"asinghe (24)) a resident of
*ithuala) as riding his
motor#i!e in the com&an" of his
&assenger) $aveen Chathuranga
(1+) hen the" ere flagged
don #" officers attached to the
,ittam#ua -olice $tation' The
to men had .ust alighted from
the #i!e hen one of the officers
shot (ndi!a &oint #lan! in the chest' ,o ords ere s&o!en and no arnings ere given' The
&olice made no effort to &rovide medical assistance to the victim ho died shortl" after'

(n their official statement the &olice sa" that the #i!e had #een travelling at e/cessive s&eed and
that the officer had o&ened fire hen the victim refused to sto&' Hoever) evidence reveals this
to #e untrue and that it as a #latant murder #" an officer) ho) li!e his com&anions) a&&eared
to #e ine#riated'
This incident is "et another e/am&le of the lalessness shon #" the $ri %an!an &olice'

CA$0 ,ARRAT(102
3n the night of 11 June) 2014) $u#ash (ndi!a Ja"asinghe (24) and his com&anion) $aveen
Chathuranga (1+)) ere travelling on the former4s motorc"cle hen the" ere flagged don #"
officers attached to the ,ittam#ua -olice $tation' (ndi!a sto&&ed the #i!e and #oth men
alighted to find themselves confronted #" a grou& of officers ho a&&eared to #e ine#riated' ,o
ords ere s&o!en and no arning as issued #" the officers hen one of them a&&roached
(ndi!a) &laced his service &istol against his chest and shot him at &oint #lan! range'
5olloing the shooting the officers made no attem&t to &rovide medical treatment for (ndi!a

and it as left to $aveen to ave don a &assing vehicle and ta!e his friend to the nearest
hos&ital' (ndi!a died shortl" after'
As he as hel&ing (ndi!a into the car the &olice officers arned $aveen not to sa" an"thing
a#out the incident'
6hen nes of the incident #ecame !non a &olice s&o!esman stated that the motorc"cle as
#eing driven ver" fast) and as the riders did not sto& after the &olice signalled them to do so) the
&olice shot at them' This e/&lanation is clearl" ludicrous as) if (ndi!a had #een shot hile in
control of the #i!e he ould not have #een a#le to control it' The #i!e ould have crashed and
#oth (ndi!a and $aveen ould have #een in.ured in the resulting crash'
The $ri %an!an &olice officers have recentl" #een armed ith service &istols) ostensi#l" to
&rotect them from assaults #" criminal elements and the clashes #eteen civilians and the
&olice hich have #ecome more &revalent recentl"' 7iven the lac! of training and the &oor
disci&line shon #" the &olice this murder comes as no sur&rise'
(n a se&arate incident) near the *atuna"a!e area) &olice recentl" shot at a moving three8
heeler' The &olice missed their target and instead shot a #"stander'
The $ri %an!an &olice are laless and lac! disci&line9 this needs addressing' (t is such
indisci&line and lalessness against hich the &u#lic is &rotesting) all over the countr"'
A::(T(3,A% (,53R;AT(3,2
(n monitoring torture in $ri %an!a) the Asian Human Rights Commission has o#served that in
the evenings man" &olice officers are drun! during their shifts' 3ne of the ell8!non cases of
murder of sus&ects in custod" #" drun!en &olice officers occurred in Angulana' This murder
led to massive &rotests and the conviction of to officers' 7iving such undisci&lined officers
lethal ea&ons and authori<ing shooting is one of the most dangerous and anti8&eo&le &olicies
ado&ted #" the ;inistr" of :efence'
The officers involved in this shooting should #e charged for murder and a com&etent and
inde&endent investigator" team should conduct criminal investigations' Hoever) hat is more
li!el" is that) under various &rete/ts) investigations ill #e dela"ed) &aving the a" for these
officers to esca&e res&onsi#ilit" and) in most li!elihood) the" ill continue their or! ith
im&unit"'
(nstead of addressing the virtual colla&se of the &olicing s"stem) the ;inistr" of :efence has
issued &istols to all &olice officers' The ;inistr" of :efence should #e held res&onsi#le for the
violence #eing caused #" &olice officers ith these ea&ons' And) the $ri %an!an &u#lic should
&rotest against the &olic" of alloing &olice officers to carr" dangerous ea&ons'

$=770$T0: ACT(3,2
-lease rite to the authorities listed #elo calling for an investigation into the incident of the
murder of "et another innocent &erson #" the $ri %an!an &olice' The AHRC is riting a
se&arate letter to the $&ecial Ra&&orteur on 0/tra.udicial *illings calling for his intervention
into this matter'
To su&&ort this a&&eal) &lease clic! here2
$A;-%0 %0TT0R2
:ear >>>>>'')
$R( %A,*A2 An innocent man is shot dead 8 the &olice officers must #e charged ith murder
,ame of victim2 $u#ash (ndi!a Ja"asinghe (24)) a resident of *ithuala
,ames of alleged &er&etrators2 3fficers from the ,ittam#ua -olice $tation
:ate of incident2 11 June) 2014
-lace of incident2 The -as"ala area) ,ittam#ua
( am riting to voice m" dee& concern regarding the shooting of $u#ash (ndi!a Ja"asinghe' 3n
the night of 11 June) 2014) $u#ash (ndi!a Ja"asinghe (24) and his com&anion) $aveen
Chathuranga (1+)) ere travelling on the former4s motorc"cle hen the" ere flagged don #"
officers attached to the ,ittam#ua -olice $tation' (ndi!a sto&&ed the #i!e and #oth men
alighted to find themselves confronted #" a grou& of officers ho a&&eared to #e ine#riated' ,o
ords ere s&o!en and no arning as issued #" the officers hen one of them a&&roached
(ndi!a) &laced his service &istol against his chest and shot him at &oint #lan! range'
5olloing the shooting the officers made no attem&t to &rovide medical treatment for (ndi!a
and it as left to $aveen to ave don a &assing vehicle and ta!e his friend to the nearest
hos&ital' (ndi!a died shortl" after'
As he as hel&ing (ndi!a into the car the &olice officers arned $aveen not to sa" an"thing
a#out the incident'
6hen nes of the incident #ecame !non a &olice s&o!esman stated that the motorc"cle as
#eing driven ver" fast) and as the riders did not sto& after the &olice signalled them to do so) the
&olice shot at them' This e/&lanation is clearl" ludicrous as) if (ndi!a had #een shot hile in
control of the #i!e he ould not have #een a#le to control it' The #i!e ould have crashed and
#oth (ndi!a and $aveen ould have #een in.ured in the resulting crash'
The $ri %an!an &olice officers have recentl" #een armed ith service &istols) ostensi#l" to
&rotect them from assaults #" criminal elements and the clashes #eteen civilians and the
&olice hich have #ecome more &revalent recentl"' 7iven the lac! of training and the &oor
disci&line shon #" the &olice this murder comes as no sur&rise'
(n a se&arate incident) near the *atuna"a!e area) &olice recentl" shot at a moving three8
heeler' The &olice missed their target and instead shot a #"stander'
The $ri %an!an &olice are laless and lac! disci&line9 this needs addressing' (t is such
indisci&line and lalessness against hich the &u#lic is &rotesting) all over the countr"'
( call u&on "ou to ensure that an immediate investigation is carried out ith regard to this
criminal act #" the officers of the $ri %an!an &olice' The officers concerned must #e &rosecuted
to the fullest e/tent of the la' 5urthermore) suita#le com&ensation should #e &aid to the famil"
of the deceased victim' ( also as! that) if the officers of the &olice service are to #e issued ith
&ersonal firearms that the" #e given ade?uate training of the correct use of such ea&ons'
-lacing a lethal ea&on in the hands of an" untrained &erson is) #" itself) an unconsciona#le
act'
( loo! forard to "our urgent attention in this matter'
@ours sincerel")
>>>>>>
-%0A$0 $0,: @3=R %0TT0R$ T32
1' ;r' , * (llanga!oon
(ns&ector 7eneral of -olice
,e $ecretariat
Colom#o 1
$R( %A,*A
5a/2 AB4 11 2 440440 C D2E+EE
08mail2 ig&F&olice'l!
2' ;r' $arath -alitha 5ernando
Attorne" 7eneral
Attorne" 7eneral4s :e&artment
Colom#o 12
$R( %A,*A
5a/2 AB4 11 2 4D6421
08mail2 agFattorne"general'gov'l!
D' $ecretar"
,ational -olice Commission
Drd 5loor) Rotunda Toers
10B 7alle Road
Colom#o 0D
$R( %A,*A
Tel2 AB4 11 2 DBGD10AB4 11 2 DBGD10
5a/2 AB4 11 2 DBG+6E
08mail2 n&cgenFsltnet'l! or n&cgenFsltnet'l!
4' $ecretar"
$ri %an!a Human Rights Commission
,o2 16G *"nse" Road)
Horella) Colom#o +'
$R( %A,*A
5a/2 AB4 11 26B4B24
0mail2 sechrcFsltnet'l!
Than! "ou'
=rgent A&&eals -rogramme
Asian Human Rights Commission (uaFahrc'asia)