My name is N.H.Mervin Priyantha De Silva. I reside at 4th Lane , Aredadola, Watugedara. I am 30 years old. I am a Sinhala Buddhist. This incident was happened on 18.07.2008.
I am married. I have two female children age 1and ½ years and 8 years. I worked at my brother’s work place which makes brick stones. It is in my home town.
On 18.07.2008 I went to Ms.Leka Chandima’s house to do paint work. When I was sitting on a bench in front of the house suddenly man ran into to the garden and jumped over the post. It was around 1.45pm at noon. Four policemen came after him. Three policemen were in civil clothes while the other was in uniforms. They entered the house and started to search without asking any questions from us. They throw away the goods in the house. After that they went to the kitchen and told Leka akka to produce thief which she was hidden. She told them that she didn’t know anything about a thief. They blamed her using abusive language. For 15 minutes they blamed with each other. After that they captured me saying that they will take me to stop her mouth. I asked them why they took me without doing anything wrong. After that they assaulted on my cheeks and ears. They kicked my belly and the back using their shoe wearing feet.
When they were taking me I hold a pole in the fence and said I can’t go. One police officer put aside my hand and took me to the road. I saw a jeep was stopped on the road. At that time I didn’t wear a shirt. When they were taking me a large crowd looked at me. I felt ashamed because I was taking this way without taking any thing. They were assaulted me on the way.
I understood they were from the Elpitiya police station while they were taking me. I was put into the jeep and handcuffed. On the way they assaulted me using their hands and feet. The jeep went to the Ambalangoda side and stopped near a shop and they took meals while we were in the jeep. They blamed me saying that they taught a lesson to me by fabrication of charges like putting a bomb or ganja.
I was taken to the Elpitiya police station. They assaulted me using their hand and feet until I was taken to the police station. I was fed up when they hit like that way. I suffered without doing anything wrong. When I came to the police station it was around 4.30pm.
After that they put ganja into an envelope and sealed it using lakada and asked me to put my thumb impression. I said no. Then they assaulted me and put my thumb impression on lakada by force.
At that time I had rs1003/= in my pocket. There was also a paint receipt valid 1300/=.
I had a hand phone also. All these things were taken by the police. I had four cigarettes they also took them. They labeled Rs.820/=, ganja, and the hand phone as court goods.
After that they took my left thumb impression to a blank sheet. They fabricated several charges like sold ganja near the Kiripeththa junction of the Elpitiya police division, sold ganja valid Rs.100/= to a police constable, and the possession of ganja.
They didn’t allow our family members to see me. They gave me only the t-shirt which brought from our home.
On the 19th around 4.30pm in the evening they took me to the official residence of Elpitiya magistrate. My family members accompanied a lawyer. The quantity of ganja was more than 7200mg so it was a non bail able offence and they remanded me for seven days.
On 20.07.2008 I was taken to the prison hospital to take medicine. There I told the doctor that I was assaulted. I also mentioned about the pain in the both side of my years and difficulty to open and close my mouth. Then he told me that was not a pain and the pain was seen not in outside.
My lawyer described the situation to the judge. After that I was taken to the Karapitiya hospital. It was one and a half months from the incident. I was showed to the judicial medical officer of the said hospital. They produced me before a psychiatric and neurologist. They took me to the hospital for once in every three days as schedule.
At around 7pm they took me to the Magistrate of the Gall prison. There I was put into the Elpitiya remand prison. I was produced before the courts from 14 days to 14 days. After that they produced me before the High Court in Balapitiya. On 11th September I was released on bail. After that I came to know that the Elpitiya police are going to arrest me again for the fabrication of charges like putting bombs and fire arms.
When ever I have remembered this incident I felt that I couldn’t face the people in my village. I feel ashamed. But they knew that I am innocent. Every time I remembered this incident I got anger, pain, fear and revenge.
At this moment too I had a pain in my neck. I feel the pain when I am moving. It is difficult to travel by bus and trishaw because my pain will increase.
I can’t do a job up to now. I also have no strength to do a job. I surfer mentally. Every time I think of the maintenance of my wife and children. I can’t sleep at night. I get up 5 minutes to 5 minutes. I think. I drink tea time to time at night. I drink water. I feel thirsty very often.
My elder brother helps me and my family members. I depend on my relations. There is no sense in my right thumb. I can’t do any work. I showed it to a doctor He examined it by pricking a pin but the thumb is senseless. It is shivering.
As a result of this incident my sister’s life was miserable. At night I sleep in fear because I will be arrested on the fabrication of charges like putting a bomb or fire arm.
