Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal torture of a man allegedly by Sergeant Samaranayake of the Wanduramba police. The victim was taken into custody on 11 July 2006, but was not given any explanation for this. On the way to the police station, and once inside, the victim was beaten mercilessly with poles causing extensive injuries to his body. He is now receiving medical treatment in hospital and has been told that he will need to remain there for at least one and a half months. This case is very similar to the torture of Gerald Perera who, like this victim, also suffered kidney failure due to blows.
On July 11, between 1:30 and 2:00am, the victim, Hevamarambage Premalal was approached at his home by officers from the Wanduramba police. They told him to put a shirt on and to accompany them as they needed to take a statement from him. One of the officers the victim identified as Police Constable Lasantha.
As he walked from his home, the victim was suddenly struck in the mouth by Sergeant Samaranayake who then used a wooden pole to beat him. The victim was taken in a jeep to a place where police sign patrol log books and then on to the police station. At the police station the victim was handcuffed and hung from above, with his feet unable to touch the ground. The officer who drove the jeep was the one who hung the victim in the cell.
While the victim was hanging from the handcuffs, Sergeant Samaranayake approached with a wooden pole and began beating him across the back and head. In fact the beating was so severe that the pole broke into pieces. The police then left the victim alone but returned a short time later evidently drunk and holding iron poles. They then began beating the victim again with the poles, until the point that he lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness the victim asked for water, which PC Lasantha brought to him. PC Nimal Ranjith then asked what happened to him and the victim explained the events.
The following morning Sergeant Samaranayake returned with a sarong. He took the victim outside with two other persons and bathed him. After that he was put behind a jeep where he overheard discussions amongst the police saying that they would take him away along small remote roads, being careful to avoid the main roads. It was then that the victim realised he was at the mortuary of the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. At that point the victim lost consciousness again and is unaware what happened to him at that time.
Some time later when he regained consciousness the victim discovered that he was in hospital. He was still handcuffed and there was a chain attached to the handcuff and the bed. He realised that he was under remand custody but did not know the reason for this or what the charges were that had been laid against him.
An examination was conducted on the victim at the hospital. According to the Judicial Medical Officer, the victim has been seriously assaulted with a blunt weapon and is under dialysis. He also noted that (direct quotes from his report):
1. This persons upper body and lower body has been beaten. According to the marks on his body he has been assaulted with two types of blunt weapons.
2. The upper part of his body has been beaten with a blunt weapon and there have been internal injuries, there are not much external injuries visible, however internal muscles have been harmed, there have been injuries to internal organs.
3. The marks due to beatings below waist are very visible. There are external injuries. Due to that internal muscles has been broken and there have been internal bleedings.
4. There have been a lot of blows been given the back side of the victim. One could count some of the injury marks below waist but not some others.
5. Due to beatings there have been internal bleedings and due to that there have been malfunctioning of kidneys. He is passing urine through a tube. He will take months to recover and at least has to spend 1 ½ months in the hospital.
6. There are injuries on the wrists indicating that he has been handcuffed and possibly hanged from them.
7. His legs too are swollen due to injuries to muscles.
The victims situation remains critical.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write a letter to the relevant authorities voicing your condemnation of this heinous attack on the victim. Those deemed responsible must be brought before a court of law and punished for the crimes they have committed. It must be ensured that the victims medical costs are met and that he receives compensation and appropriate medical attention for the trauma he has suffered.
To support this appeal, please click: 
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ______________,
SRI LANKA: Man brutally tortured by Wanduramba Police Station requires months of hospitalisation
Name of victim: Hevamarambage Premalal (32), married with three children
Name of alleged perpetrators: Sergeant Samaranayake and other officers from the Wanduramba Police
Place of incident: Wanduramba Police Station
Date of incident: 11 July 2006
I am appalled by the sheer brutality of Sergeant Samaranayake of the Wanduramba Police, who it is alleged tortured a man on 11 July 2006. The victim, Hevamarambage Premalal was taken into custody on July 11 but was given no explanation for this. On the way to the police station he was struck in the mouth and assaulted with a wooden pole. Once at the police station he was handcuffed and hung from above from these. Sergeant Samaranayake, it is alleged, then repeatedly beat the victim with the pole causing extensive injuries to his body.
After leaving the victim to hang in his cell for some time Sergeant Samaranayake and other officers soon returned and were visibly drunk and wielding iron poles. They then mercilessly began to beat the victim once more resulting in him losing consciousness. When he regained consciousness the victim asked for water, which PC Lasantha brought to him. PC Nimal Ranjith then asked what happened to him and the victim explained the events.
The following morning Sergeant Samaranayake returned with a sarong. He took the victim outside with two other persons and bathed him. After that he was put behind a jeep where he overheard discussions amongst the police saying that they would take him away along small remote roads, being careful to avoid the main roads. It was then that the victim realised he was at the mortuary of the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. At that point the victim lost consciousness again and is unaware what happened to him next.
Some time later when he regained consciousness the victim discovered that he was in hospital. He was still handcuffed and there was a chain attached to the handcuff and the bed. He realised that he was under remand custody but did not know the reason for this or what the charges were that had been laid against him.
An examination was conducted on the victim at the hospital. According to the Judicial Medical Officer, the victim has been seriously assaulted with a blunt weapon and is under dialysis. He also noted that (direct quotes from his report):
1. This persons upper body and lower body has been beaten. According to the marks on his body he has been assaulted with two types of blunt weapons.
2. The upper part of his body has been beaten with a blunt weapon and there have been internal injuries, there are not much external injuries visible, however internal muscles have been harmed, there have been injuries to internal organs.
3. The marks due to beatings below waist are very visible. There are external injuries. Due to that internal muscles has been broken and there have been internal bleedings.
4. There have been a lot of blows been given the back side of the victim. One could count some of the injury marks below waist but not some others.
5. Due to beatings there have been internal bleedings and due to that there have been malfunctioning of kidneys. He is passing urine through a tube. He will take months to recover and at least has to spend 1 ½ months in the hospital.
6. There are injuries on the wrists indicating that he has been handcuffed and possibly hanged from them.
7. His legs too are swollen due to injuries to muscles.
The victims situation remains critical.
I trust you will share my grave concerns for the victim and anger at those who perpetrated this terrible crime. I ask that an independent investigation be launched immediately into this incident and charges laid against those deemed responsible. Should they be found guilty in a court of law, then appropriate punishment must be passed. It must also be ensured that the victims medical costs are met and that he receives compensation and appropriate medical attention for the trauma he has suffered.
Yours sincerely,
———————————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Chandra Fernando
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/327877
Email: chandralaw@police.lk
2. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
Email: attorney@sri.lanka.net
3. Secretary
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
No. 36, Kynsey Road
Colombo 8
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806
Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk
4. Secretary
National Police Commission
3rd Floor, Rotunda Towers,
109 Galle Road
Colombo 03
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 395310
Fax: +94 11 2 395867
E-mail: polcom@sltnet.lk
5. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse
President
Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka
C/- Office of the President
Temple Trees
150, Galle Road
Colombo 3
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2472100 / +94 11 2446657 (this is contact for Secretary to President)
Email: secretary@presidentsoffice.lk
6. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 9179016 (general)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
