My name is Ruwan Sampath. This was happened when I was at home. One of my friends called Chandana came to accompany me. The time was around 7.30 a.m. in the morning. My elder sister woke up me and told that Chandana called me So I went.
I went to a land owners house to clean the land. The landowner said his son was in the land and told us to go there. So I went there. I asked Rs. 3500/= from him as a contract to clean the land. He agreed. After that both of us went to the house of Chandana.
It was rainning. So we went to Muditha’s house. When we were there, Baby Aiya, Sudu Mahaththaya, and Tharanga came. We had a chat because, it was raining. When rain was end we went to our houses. Both Muditha and Tharanga stayed. Chandana went to attend the civil defence committee.
At about 12’ o clock I went home’. I asked my mother whether lunch was ready. she told me to wait a while. I laid on the bed and watching the television. At about 1.00 p.m. my mother told me to eat lunch. So I ate. After that I was watching the T.V. At that time my elder sister, the two children of her and my father were at home. The dog started to bark. I came outside and see who came. I saw a police man was coming. He asked who Sampath was? I said I am.
I saw Upul, Sudu aiya and the police man named siril Jayasekara were at the roadside. The policeman called Dammika told me that there was a complaint against me. He also asked me to accompany him.
The policeman Dammika and Upul were got on to the Upul’s motorcycle. I was on the another motorcycle sat between the policeman Jayasekara and Sudu. My mother came outside and asked where they took me. Then Sudu replied. It could be seen at the police station. I also thought why they took me. The policeman Dammika held on my shirt and put me on to the bicycle. I was afraid and surprised why they took me.
They stopped at the Ambalama junction. The policeman Dammika came closer to me and said that I had stolen jewellery from the Upul’s house. Then he went to Upul’s house which they mentioned as the place where I had stolen jewellery. He also told the policeman Jayasekara to took me and Sudu to the police station. I cried. I could ran but I didn’t . The put me in the middle like the way in earlier and went to the direction of the police station. On our way they stopped at the house of Piyasoma aiya’s house.
When we were there another police man came. At that time Piyasoma aiya was in the garden. Later I came to know the name of that policeman was SI Wijekone. The policeman asked Piyasoma aiya that he sold his bicycle. The policeman Jayasekara told SI wijekoon showing me and said that I was the person who sold. Then SI Wijekoon suggested to go my house and search again.
Again the motorcycle come back to our house. SI Wijekoon was took the lead to the house. I was walking between SI wijekoon and Siril Jayasekara. Suti was also behind us. My father, mother and elder sister came forward. SI Wijekoon asked them where my room was. My mother showed the room closed to the veranda. The dog was also chained near it. He told to take the dog away otherwise he would kill it. Both these policemen took me to the room.
They searched my body inside the room. They told me to remove the trouser. They searched all the dresses in the room. They torned the meteress and searched.
Then he told me to come. I asked them whether I can wear the trouser. They said yes. I couldn’t think what was happened. I cried. After that they took me to the place where goods were stolen. The road near to the house of Upul. They put a hand cuff on me. The next part of the handcuff was held by policeman Siril Jayasekara. SI Wijekoon and the person whose nick name was Suti went to the Upul’s house. The policeman Dammika was in the garden. He came closer to me.
He took the handcuff from the policeman Siril Jayasekara. He slapped both of my ears. I told him not to assault me. I worshiped him. My pain was immense. My friends and neighbours were seen this. They dragged me to the Upul’s house. SI Wijekoon said that I had stolen the jewellary from this house by entering in the window. He also mentioned that my action was seen by the neighbours too.
Again they took me to the road side. The uncle called Sena was also came there. I took the contract to clean the land from him. This person was also called justice of peace uncle. He said that I was roaming near the plantation trees. The policeman Dammika took me near to the house of uncle Sena. He blamed me using filthy words and assaulted me using his hands and legs. He assaulted me on my face, ears and back. The people in the village and family members gather there. I got very angry with the policeman. He assault me that I didn’t know anything. He blamed me using filthy words.
There I was taken to the house of Muditha. He asked me what did I do there. I told him that I was there because it was raining. He searched the every corner of that house. SI Wijekoon, Siril Jayasekara and the policeman Dammika supported him. He told suti to search the balcony. Then he took me outside. He took a genesiria pole in the fence and assaulted me. He assaulted me on my back, buttocks and legs. He also blamed me using filthy words. He told me to say that I had taken the jewellery. I worshiped him and begged not to hit me. I screamed and cried. They assaulted for 4 to 5 minutes.
They again took me to uncle Sena’s house. He slapped my ear twice. Policeman Dammika told Siril Jayasekara to hold me. After that both Dammika and SI Wijekoon went the Upul’s house. Uncle Sena told me to eat biscuits. But I drank only tea. He told me to gave the expenses for tea by selling the stolen jewellery. I lost my interest to live.
I was taken to the police station. They put handcuffs on my hands. I was put in to the police cell. When I was in the cell the policeman coming time to time and looked at me.
Around 5’O clock in the evening my parents came to the police station. They gave me two buns. One policeman took it. When I was in the cell they didn’t remove my handcuffs. One them told me to tell otherwise the others came drunken and erased me. I was frightened. But I couldn’t do anything.
Around 7.00 p.m. at night the OIC came. I was taken out of the room and took to the OIC He told me to tell the truth. I worshiped him and said I didn’t take anything. They filled a form. They asked my address. They also told me to sign it. He told the others to search me and put me to the cell.
They took me closer to the cell and removed the handcuffs. Then told me to remove my dress. Then searched and told me to wear the dress. At this time the other policemen were looking at me and laughed at me. I saw my friends were outside. There were around 25 people. My relatives were also there. I felt happy because they came to release me.
Then the person named Suti came to the police station. He had a bottle of aracks and cigarettes in his hand. He went to the room where SI Wijekoon and police officer Dammika in. The policeman in the reserve told my friends that they couldn’t allow them to see me. My brother in law brought a packet of lunch for me. But Dammika took it. He searched it. He put it on a table and opened it and searched it with a pen. After that gave it to me. I didn’t eat. I put it aside. I lost the interest to eat it. I had the thought to hit them with it. I felt that these thing never done by human beings.
The policeman in the reserve put his head on the table. I heard the people at the backroom singing. The policeman Dammika came outside and took the jeep and went. He came after half an hour. He came with Chandana. He was put in to the other cell. I couldn’t speak.
At around 9’O clock Dammika came wearing a sarong and hit me with the cigarette. which he was smoking. He was drunken. He opened the door and came closer to me. He slapped me once and told me to tell the truth. Then he closed the door of the cell and went to the other cell. I heard he assaulted Chandana. Chandana was screamed.
After that I saw Chandana was taken outside and took the backside of the police station. I heard Chandana screamed saying “ I was killed” . After 10 minutes he brought back. Chandana and put him inside the cell. I felt that I too also assaulted.
The policeman Dammika came in to the cell which I was in and looked it inside. Then told me to tell the truth. I told him that I didn’t take anything. He put my hands back and kept me on to the wall and slapped me several times. He pushed me to the ground. He assaulted my chest with his leg. He blamed me using filthy words. He threatened me that they had bomba, ganja and heroine, moonshine with the possession. He also told me to go any where including human rights. He threatened me further saying I was imprisoned.
I vomited with blood. I didn’t know what was happened to me. My pain was immense. When I was assaulted a telephone call came. Policeman Dammika opened the cell door and went and took it. Again he came and told us that he felt sorry because he hit us. He also asked me whether I want something to eat. I said no. Around 8.30 a.m. in the morning my parents and some friends came. to see me. The policeman Dammika opened the cell door and took me to a room. He pointed a pistol to my head and threatened saying tell the doctor I was injured because of the fell down.
Again both Chandana and I took to a another room. They measured our hights.They also told us to get ready to go to the hospital. The doctor asked what was happened. I told that I was fallen down. Chandana told he was assaulted once.
The doctor took a piece of paper and filled it. He had drawn my face on it and marked. But he didn’t look at other things. He didn’t seen my body. He didn’t put the stethoscope also. The doctor had seen me in front of the policeman Dammika.
Again they took us to the police station. One of my uncles came to the police station and asked whether I was given bail. The policeman Dammika said the jeep was not there and if possible took me to the Baddegama. My uncle brought a try shaw. The policeman Dammika took me and Chandana to the Baddegama courts by the tryshaw. It was around 12.30 p.m. at noon. Then the courts hearings were over.
The judge was inside a room. So they took us to that room. My family lawyers hired a lawyer also. But he didn’t mention that I was assaulted. The judge also didn’t ask anything from us. He ordered two physical bails.
The policeman Dammika came with me. We gave Rs. 1500/= to the driver of the try shaw. he again told me that bombs, ganja, heroine, moon shine were in their possession and also told me that the pen was in their hands. He also told me not to go further and said they will end the case within two hearings.
I came home. Next day I went to the Karapitiya hospital. I told how I was assaulted in detail. I was in the Karapitiya hospital for two and half months. When I came outside the court I felt happy. But this thing was happened to me without doing anything wrong. I am still suffering.
After that I complained to the human rights commission. I was asked to come before the Human Rights Commission in Matara. They asked me whether the complaints made by Janasansadaya . I said yes. Then that officer told me Janasansadaya is a NGO and it was make further difficulty to your case and advised me to give Rs. 50,000/= and release. He further said if I wouldn’t do it. I am unable to stay in the home also.
