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According to the information , Mr. Waharagedara Ranjith Sumangala (36) of No: 18, Kuriyawela Colony, Ukuwela is a married father of two and a tinker (tinsmith) by profession. He had served in the Sri Lanka Army and in 1999 was honourably discharged.
On 15 December 2010 he stayed at No: 137/2, Beliaththavila, Kindelpitiya, Millewa with his family. On this particular day he went to his employer's home at Kahawala by a three wheeler owned by one Mr. Chandana. While they were on their way, at Yatawathura road near the place known locally as Mr. Fiscal's home, four motor bikes surrounded them so that the three-wheeler had to stop. Then two of the motorbike passengers sat on the rear of the three wheeler on both sides of Ranjith. They threatened him with death and told him not to move. Ranjith and the driver were asked to hand over their mobile phones which they did.
Ranjith indentified one person out of the eight as Ajith Wanasundara a retired army officer living in the same area. Then they directed Chandana to drive towards the cemetery of Dambara. Once there they further instructed him to take the three wheeler deep into the cemetery where no one would see them. One of the officers removed Ranjith's T-shirt and blindfolded him. Then he started to beat and kick his legs around twenty times. The men did not ask any questions or explain what they were doing. Then Ranjith heard that one person calling another and stating that they had arrested the man. Then another asked the officer to take the Ranjith to certain locations. By listening to the conversation between them Ranjith understood that they were police officers. At that point Ranjith's wrists were cuffed behind his back.
A van came and stopped near them and the officers took Ranjith in to its rear and asked him to sit on the floor of the vehicle. One of the officers asked Ranjith if he knew where he was and he answered that he was in the cemetery. Then the officer warned him that they would bury him there. Then he demanded the location of the automatic weapon that Ranjith had he taken from the army and to which Ranjith denied that he had ever taken any such weapon. Then he brought a plastic shopping bag in which there was chili powder and covered Ranjith's head and face. Ranjith felt that he was in very real danger of suffocation. The officer removed it just before Ranjith passed out and repeated the torture five times. While the shopping bag was on his head the officer continuously punched his face. During this time the other officers repeatedly asked about the weapon and Ranjith, despite his pain and fear continuously denied possession of any such weapon. Then the officer asked where is the jewelry he had stolen from Ajith Jayasundara's house was located. Ranjith answered that he did not know anything about this and that he had never engage in such a crime. The officer again started to beat him with kicks and punches. Other officers removed their belts and also beat him with those.
Then he felt the van start to move. While the vehicle was moving the officers near him continued to assault him. Eventually the vehicle stopped and he heard the officers discussing to have tea at Hasthigiri hotel and Meepe.
Again they started to move but stopped at an unknown location. The officers untied the T-shirt and brought him to a place where there were seven toilets and three showers. Then Ranjith was asked to have a bath. He was suffering severe pain due to the assault. Further he noticed that he had urinated defecated in his sarong. Then he washed everything and had a shower as well. However, he had to wear the same clothes. He noticed that five officers around him while he was taking a bath.
After the bath again they blindfolded him again with his T-shirt and got back into the van. After a considerable time the vehicle was stopped and he was asked to get down and climb some steps. He understood that he was asked to climb two set of steps which made him believe that he was in a two storey building. Once again the shopping bag with the chili powder was placed over his head. Ranjith was told to accept responsibility for 15 cases which he initially refused as he knew nothing about them. He was asked repeatedly but continued to deny any connection with the crimes. Ranjith was then forced to lie on the ground and two officers came and trampled his thighs causing him unbearable pain. Ranjith was unable to bear any further ill-treatment and told the officers he was ready to accept anything. In desperation he also told them that all the jewelry had been buried under the banana tree at his house and a TV, a VCD and cassettes were at home. He told all that hoping that they would not assault him anymore.
For the remainder of the day he was not given food or water. However, he noticed that he had again soiled his sarong with urine and faeces.
On 16 December the officers took him in a vehicle to his residence. Then his wife was questioned about their TV, VCD and cassettes. His wife was able to show the purchasing receipts of all this equipment. Another officer started to dig the land near the banana tree but did not find any jewelry. The officers asked why Ranjith he said that he had the stolen property to which Ranjith replied that as he could not bear the pain anymore he told them what they wanted to hear. When he was brought to the house his wife and the two children were also present at home. One officer took a 2 x 1 wide, 3.5 feet long pole which Ranjith and his family used to lock the door and started to beat him with it until it broke. This was done in front of his wife and children who were screaming loudly in fear and begging the officers to stop. The same officer found another pole, this one was 1.5" wide and 4 feet long and started to beat Ranjith about his shoulders. As the wife and the two children screamed continuously the officers put them into a room and warned them not to come out. They also told the wife that they would not be sending him home again.
The officers put Ranjith back into the vehicle and removed his T-shirt. Ranjith, despite his pain was able to note that there was one officer with two stars and 8 other officers in the vehicle. It was only then that he realised that he was in the custody of the Mirihana police.
At the police station he understood that Chandana, the three wheeler driver, had been released on the 16th. Further he understood that three other neighbours, Mr. Nimal, his younger brother Jayasena and Mr. Chaminda who had pending criminal cases against them had also been brought to the same police station. Ranjith noticed that one officer at the station recording a statement from Jayasena that Ranjith was responsible for the crimes that they had done. Then Ranjith was cuffed with Nimal and Chiminda was cuffed with Jayasena.
On 17 December, all four were brought to an old building within the Mirihana Police Station premises. Ranjith indentified that place as the 'Torture Chamber' by listening to the conversation that had taken place at the station. Then they brought to four separate rooms and Ranjith was beaten with a rubber hose. After two hours they were brought back to the station.
Again on 18 December officers brought Ranjith to the torture chamber and he heard Nimal screaming. Then he saw that Nimal was hanging from a beam. When he was brought down the officers cuffed Ranjith's wrists behind his back and suspended him from the same beam. Ranjith was left in that torment for about 30 minutes before an officer returned. He told Ranjith to tell the truth. Ranjith replied that he had not committed any crimes and the officer went away.
Later the same officers returned with a book. He told Ranjith that there were 21 unsolved cases and asked how many he was ready to accept responsibility for. When Ranjith answered that he was not involved with any of the cases the one in charge ordered the officers to take Ranjith down, make him bathe and provide him with food and water.
Though the officers brought Ranjith to the wash room he was not able to have a bath by himself. The officers brought Nimal and with his assistance they were able to make him bathe. Later he brought to the cell inside the station where other three were detained and all four were asked to do exercises. But Ranjith was not able to comply. Ranjith was brought to a room upstairs and made him sit on the ground with his wrists cuffed behind his back.
Again at around 7.30 pm the officer who had two stars assaulted Ranjith with a rubber belt around 30 times.
On the 19th Ranjith was brought to the ground floor of the station. Then at 5 pm he was produced before the Magistrate of Avissavella and brought back to the same police station. Then he understood that police had a detention order from the Magistrate to keep him inside the station.
When the detention order was issued it was ordered to produced Ranjith on 21 December around 9 am before the Magistrate. But he was not produced along with the order. On that day he was asked to paint the police station.
On 23 December around 3.30 pm he was finally produced before the Magistrate and enlarged on bail. But as there were no officers at court to take his signature he had to go the Kuruvita prison. At the prison Ranjith revealed to the prison officers how he was assaulted. Then the prison officers examined him and gave him two panodols. On the 24th Ranjith was brought back to the Magistrate Court and released.
He went to his parent's residence on the same day and was brought to the Basic Hospital, Matale, on the 25th where he was admitted to ward number 13 for treatment. There the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) examined him. The doctors at hospital informed him that there was damage to his nerve system and he needed to be admitted to the Teaching Hospital of Kandy and Teaching Hospital of Peradeniya for further treatment.
As a result of the injuries Ranjith cannot do his day to day work and is not in a position to engage in his profession any more.
He further says that in the Magistrate Court he learned that police have filed four fabricated cases against him.
While he was taking treatments he received a summons from the Magistrate's Court of Horana to appear for a case on 28 January 2011. When he appeared for the case the Magistrate remanded him again. Ranjith states that he never knew about any of these cases.
Presently he is in fear that police will file more fabricated chargers and list him as a notorious criminal and finally extrajudicially kill him. The victim narrated the way how he was tortured in the video.
 Mr. Waharagedara Ranjith Sumangala was arrested by officers attached to the Mirihan...){kind=link}
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