Western Province Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) Sajeewa Medawatte says police believe the suspect who died in Homagama Police custody died from assault-related injuries, while acknowledging that officers failed to follow proper procedures when handling the suspect.
The Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Homagama Police Crimes Division has also been arrested in connection with the custodial death, while several other officers have faced disciplinary action.
Speaking about the ongoing investigation, the Senior DIG said medical findings indicated that the suspect had suffered three broken ribs, while information available to investigators also suggested head injuries and possible bleeding in the brain.
He said police believed the death was linked to an assault, but the exact cause and circumstances could only be confirmed after the completion of medical examinations and investigations.
The Senior DIG also revealed that police had received information suggesting the suspect may have been assaulted while being held at the Homagama Police Crimes Division before being placed in a police cell.
However, he stressed that this allegation had not yet been conclusively established and remained under investigation.
Suspect assaulted before arrest
Medawatte also revealed that investigators had uncovered a separate assault involving the suspect on October 24, a day before he was arrested by police.
According to the Senior DIG, the suspect had been admitted to hospital following an altercation between two groups but had initially claimed that he had fallen off a bicycle.
“The suspect was arrested in the early hours of October 25. However, he had been hospitalised the previous day, October 24,” Medawatte said.
He explained that the suspect had remained in hospital for several hours before leaving without medical authorisation.
“At the time of his arrest, he said he had fallen off a bicycle and had been admitted to hospital. However, investigations later revealed that he had actually been assaulted during a dispute between two groups,” the Senior DIG said.
He confirmed that separate investigations were underway into the October 24 assault and the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s detention at Homagama Police.
Police procedures not followed
Explaining the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s detention, Medawatte said the suspect had not initially reported serious health complications when he was arrested.
However, he subsequently showed signs of distress while being held in the police cell, prompting officers to admit him to hospital.
The Senior DIG acknowledged that officers had failed to properly follow several mandatory procedures when taking the suspect into custody.
He said police were required to document a suspect’s physical condition at the time of arrest, maintain proper records, follow established procedures during questioning and inform the suspect’s relatives.
“These procedures were not properly followed. That is why we took action against the officers concerned so quickly,” he said.
The OIC of the Homagama Police Crimes Division, who was initially interdicted over the incident, was subsequently arrested by the Western Province South Crime Investigation Division.
The Senior DIG stressed that the action taken against the officers did not mark the end of the investigation.
He said further inquiries were underway to establish whether the suspect had also been assaulted while in police custody and to determine the exact cause of death.
Police are examining both the assault reported on October 24 and the events at Homagama Police Station on October 25 to establish the circumstances that led to the suspect’s death. (Newswire)