Embilipitiya police officers taken into custody ....
on Sumith Prasanna's wife's evidence!
According to information revealed by evidence of wife of Sumith Prasanna Jayawardena in Embilipitiya, Embilipitiya Magistrate Mr. Prasanna Fernando yesterday (27) ordered that the Assistant Superintendent of Police, the Headquarters Chief Inspector and other suspected police officers be
immediately take into custody and brought before courts. In the meantime, according to investigations conducted in connection with this particular incident, the magistrate ordered that the suspected police officers too be arrested and brought before courts. Magesterial enquiry pertaining to the death of Sumith Prasanna Jayawardena was conducted in the presence of Embilipitiya Magistrate, Mr. Prasanna Fernando, yesterday. What Mrs. Sashika Nishamani Munasingha, wife of Sumith Prasanna Jayawardena who has been subjected to murder said by giving evidence was that the Assistant Superintendent of Police, the Headquarters Inspector of Police and a team of officers had brutally assaulted her husband.
Sashika Munasingha stated that she was able to identify both the Assistant Superintendent of Police of Embilipitiya and the Headquarters Chief Inspector of Police because they had been chief guests at festivals of her child's school. The magistrate who took all evidence given by Mrs. Munasingha into consideration, ordered the Criminal Investigation Department that the Assistant Superintendent of Police of Embilipitiya, the Headquarters Chief Inspector of Police and officers be taken immediately into custody.
Prior to investigation of this evidence, people in the area held a peaceful protest in front of Embilipitiya Courts and what they said was that the law be seriously enforced against the relevant suspects.
The Criminal Investigation Department are conducting further investigations in this respect. Prasanna Jayawardena, the father of one child died as a result of a clash that took place at a puberty ceremony held in a certain house in Embilipitiya. A finger was pointed at Embilipitiya Police that the cause of this death was the police assault and that the murder resulted in pushing the deceased down from a top-floor.
15 Attorneys-at-Law including President's Counsel Mr. Hemantha Warnakulasooriya appeared on behalf of the prejudiced party.
Hemantha Randunu, Omalpe Prageeth Janaka (Divaina)