The Bar raises concerns about serial killings of suspects in police custody 

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) calls upon the President and the Government to take serious note of the killing of two suspects who were in police custody. It urged the government to take actions to prevent such occurrences in the future by ensuring the safety and security of persons in custody.

The Executive Committee of the BASL has expressed its grave and serious concern and has strongly condemned the recent killing of two suspects in police custody. Melon Mabula alias ‘Uru Juwa’ and Tharaka Perera Wijesekera alias ‘Kosgoda Tharaka’ were killed in two consecutive days.

“These deaths have all the hallmarks of extra-judicial killings,” the Association claimed.
On 12th of May 2021, an Attorney-at-Law representing Tharaka Perera Wijesekera informed the Association in an email that his client had been suddenly transferred from the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to a special police Unit at Peliyagoda. He said he feared that his client would be killed while in custody, the BASL mentioned in their statement.

Acting upon the complaint of the Attorney-at-Law, the President of the BASL has informed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), reminding him that the Supreme Court in many decisions has re-iterated that the duty and responsibility cast on the State to ensure safety and security of persons in their custody.

The State and the Police have a duty to ensure the safety and security of persons in their custody, irrespective of the character of such persons and the seriousness of the nature of the allegations against such persons, BASL emphasized.

The Association also warned that such deaths are an affront to the Rule of Law and will tarnish the image of Sri Lanka.

“It is an imperative requirement of criminal justice that persons accused of serious crime including murder are tried by a court of law and punished for their crimes and that the networks that aided and abetted such activities  are prosecuted and dismantled. This requirement is defeated by the failure of police officers to control the unarmed suspect purportedly accompanied by them without the use of lethal force. It is incomprehensible how on several occasions the Police have been unable to protect unarmed suspects in their custody,” BASL stated.

The Association also said that as far back as 2013, highlighted the issue of the killing of suspects in the custody of police and will use all means at its disposal to prevent similar acts of omission and commission on the part of the State authorities in future