Lawyers representing a driver who was beaten in public by a Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) in Ratnapura have reported that their client was "grossly assaulted, physically, and sexually tortured" by the SDIG and two other officers.
This is has been detailed in a letter sent to Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. It comes as Sri Lanka's police force has come under increased scrutiny with Human Rights Watch urging international partners to cease engagement with the country's abusive law enforcement agencies.
The physical assault of the driver in public was caught on footage and widely circulated online. It showed SDIG, Ranmal Kodituwakku, kicking and beating the civilian while the civilian begs to stop the attack. Sri Lankan police have launched an investigation into the incident but have not responded to the question of whether Kodituwakku, was under the influence of alcohol.
Following the incident, Kodituwakku has been transferred as the Senior DIG of the Medical Services and Welfare Division.
According to lawyers representing the driver, their client was taken to the Kiriella police station where he was stripped naked and forced to kneel before Kodituwakku and two other officers. He was reportedly beaten and sexually assaulted by the officers before being taken to Kiriella Rural Hospital.
The letter details that the driver and his family continue to fear for their lives following this incident.
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