The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the Nochchiyagama Police violated the fundamental rights of a married father of two who was traveling to his farm on a motorcycle without any justifiable reason, brutally assaulted him and produced him before the Magistrate’s Court.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court ordered five police officers, including the former OIC of Nochchiyagama, to pay a compensation of Rs. 900,000 from their personal funds to the petitioner farmer.
The order was given by a bench of Justices S. Thurairajah, Kumuduni Wickramasinghe and Sampath Wijeratne, who heard a fundamental rights petition filed by a farmer named T. M. Lakshman Tennakoon, a resident of the Nochchiyagama area.
Chief Police Inspector Jayathilaka, who was the OIC of the Nochchiyagama Police at that time, Police Inspector R. M. S. C. Ratnayake, who was the OIC of the Anuradhapura Divisional Crime Suppression Division, Police Sergeant Ratnayake, Police Sergeant Asela and Police Constable Bandara were ordered to pay compensation to the farmer in question.
Senior President’s Counsel Anil Silva appeared on behalf of the petitioner as instructed by Attorney-at-Law Arindra Silva, while Senior Deputy Solicitor General Lakmali Karunanayake appeared on behalf of the Attorney General.