Anulawathi’s Story: Inefficiency of Government Analyst

"After she returned to Sri Lanka the police arrested her husband and remanded him. He is in the male ward in the same prison. A week after her husband's arrest she too was arrested on fabricated charges of possession of drugs."

by Harshi. C. Perera

(October 09, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Anulawathi is a 47-year-old grandmother with two grand children from Bokundara. Now she is a pre trial detainee at the women's ward in a Colombo prison where she has been for more than two years now.

According to Anulawathi her husband was a drug addict and also engaged in the drug business. Anulawathi had various family problems with her husband who had affairs with other women. He often quarreled at home. Anulawathi went Dubai to work in a hospital as a cleaner.

After she returned to Sri Lanka the police arrested her husband and remanded him. He is in the male ward in the same prison. A week after her husband's arrest she too was arrested on fabricated charges of possession of drugs.

As earlier mentioned both of her adult children got married and had babies. Her daughter Manel wanted her mother released as soon as possible but her children did not say anything about the release of their father.

The family has faced severe economic hardships after the arrest of their, parents especially the mother. The two children went to see Anulawathi once in three months. According to Manel if her mother is released then it will be a great relief for them.

Every court hearing of the case is postponed and Anulawathi was remanded for 14 days again and again because of the delay in the government analyst's report. Now this has been going on for more than two years. The court has reminded more than 18 times to the Government Analyst Department to submit the report. Anulawathi bail depends on the report of the Analyst. Justice delayed is justice denied. The Government Analyst is responsible for this denial of justice to Anulawathi.

The Government Analyst's Department was established in 1904 and is the central government laboratory. The department consists of two divisions, the Food Science and the Forensic Science. Food science division provides services towards public health. On the other hand Forensic Science division provides services mainly to law enforcement authorities in the area of crime investigation. In both divisions, there are specially trained scientists for the examination and analysis of samples forwarded by police, law court and other relevant institutes in the country.