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CASE NARRATIVE:
According to the information that the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) received Mr. Wasantha Abeysinghe (43) of Air Force Road, Kimbissa in the Matale District is a farmer by profession and married to Ms. Niluka Sanjeewani. Wasantha is a father of two children, an eleven year daughter and a two and half year old son.
On the 12 July 2011 Wasantha exchanged some words with a villager in same village in public. Wasantha did not agree with the things what he was told by the other party and he wanted to leave the place as he noted that the fellow was under the influence of liquor. At one point the other party tried to assault him but Wasantha was lucky enough to escape the incident and went home.
However, that night a group of police officers attached to the Sigiriya Police Station coming to his home. They arrested Wasantha without informing him of the reason for the arrest. Then Wasantha was brought to the Sigiriya Police Station.
At the police station Wasantha was stripped naked, severely beaten, slapped, kicked and was severely tortured by the same officers that arrested him.
He was then produced before the Magistrate's Court of Dambulla and remanded at the Raja Veediya Remand Prison. Wasantha was able to inform his wife Niluka about the torture that he underwent at the hands of the officers at the Sigiriya Police Station and complained of body pain. Wasantha further informed that he had still not been given any medical treatment.
Wasantha later learned that police officers have falsely accused him with the charge of attempt murder which is non-bailable offense at the Magistrate’s Court. Wasantha states that police officers filed such a serious fabricated charge against him to delay him getting out of remand prison as he was in severe condition after being subjected to serious torture.
Wasantha's village Kimbissa, is famous for Chena Cultivations. Wasantha is also engaged in Chena Cultivation. The peasant farmers have to use guns issued by the government authorities to protect their crops from wild animals, especially from the wild elephants.
Later Wasantha learned that police officers are now trying to file another fabricated case against him on possession of an unauthorized gun and prevent him getting release from the remand prison. The illegal possession of a gun is also a non-bailable offence under the criminal law of the country.
He further leaned that the number of the fabricated case filed by the police officers in the Magistrate's Court Dambulla is number of B/699/2011. Considering his medical condition the relatives tried to get Wasantha released on bail but it was refused by the Magistrate. Later his relatives filed an appeal application for the bail in the High Court of Kandy with the number of HC/217/2011 which is still pending.
Wasatha believes that police officers arrested him to fulfill the whims and fancies of an influential private party.
Wasantha categorically denies the false charges filed against him by the police officers. He further states that police officers illegally arrested him; arbitrarily detained him and severely tortured him while in the custody of Sigiriya Police Station. He further states that due to the illegal actions of the police officers he remains in continuous detention in the Remand Prison of Rajaveediya.
Source: Asian Human Rights Commission
 The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Wasant...){kind=link}
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