Sri Lanka Police state that a Sub‑Inspector attached to the Ambalangoda Police Station has been immediately transferred following the circulation of a video alleging that officers assaulted a man in custody.
The move comes as a special investigation is launched into allegations that the suspect’s father was assaulted while in custody.
Police said the inquiry is being conducted under the supervision of the Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of the Galle Division, led by the Galle District (II) Superintendent of Police.
The investigation follows the circulation of a video showing a man behaving riotously inside the Ambalangoda Police Station, claiming officers had assaulted his father.
The man’s son alleged that his father was severely assaulted after being taken into custody on the night of August 24. He claimed his father was stopped about 100 meters from their home and asked to produce his National Identity Card. Although the father offered to take officers to his nearby home to retrieve the ID, he was allegedly verbally abused and assaulted.
The son further alleged that his father was assaulted at the police station, threatened with a firearm, and denied immediate medical treatment. He said he found his father bleeding when he went to the station after becoming concerned when his father failed to return home. The family disputes police claims that the man was intoxicated at the time.
Police, however, gave a different account, stating the man was arrested for allegedly being intoxicated and behaving disorderly on a road. They said he attempted to flee during arrest but fell, causing the bleeding injuries seen in the video.
Police confirmed the man was admitted to Balapitiya Hospital on August 25 and examined by a Judicial Medical Officer. The Additional Magistrate of Balapitiya later ordered his release on bail.
The Inspector General of Police has ordered a separate investigation into the incident. Police said the probe is being conducted under the supervision of the DIG in charge of the Galle District, led by a senior officer from outside the Elpitiya Division, under which the Ambalangoda Police Station operates.
The circumstances surrounding the man’s injuries, and the conflicting accounts provided by his family and police, are now subject to the ongoing investigation. (Newswire)