Ambalangoda Police Officer Transferred as Probe Launched into Alleged Custodial Assault

Sri Lanka Police have immediately transferred a Sub-Inspector attached to the Ambalangoda Police Station following the circulation of a video alleging that officers assaulted a man while he was in custody.

A special investigation has also been launched into allegations that the man’s father was assaulted after being taken into police custody on the night of August 24.

Police said the inquiry is being conducted under the supervision of the Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of the Galle Division and is being led by the Galle District (II) Superintendent of Police.

The investigation follows the circulation of a video showing a man behaving riotously inside the Ambalangoda Police Station and alleging that officers had assaulted his father.

According to the man’s son, his father was stopped about 100 metres from their home and asked to produce his National Identity Card. He alleged that although his father offered to take the officers to their nearby home to retrieve the document, he was verbally abused and assaulted.

The son further alleged that his father was assaulted at the police station, threatened with a firearm and denied immediate medical treatment. He said he found his father bleeding when he went to the station after becoming concerned that he had not returned home. The family has also disputed police claims that the man was intoxicated.

Police, however, have provided a different account, stating that the man was arrested for allegedly being intoxicated and behaving disorderly on a road. According to police, he attempted to flee during the arrest but fell, resulting in the injuries seen in the video.

Police confirmed that the man was admitted to Balapitiya Hospital on August 25 and examined by a Judicial Medical Officer. The Additional Magistrate of Balapitiya subsequently ordered his release on bail.

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police has ordered a separate investigation into the incident. Police said the probe is being conducted under the supervision of the Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Galle District and led by a senior officer from outside the Elpitiya Division, under which the Ambalangoda Police Station operates.

The circumstances surrounding the man’s injuries, as well as the conflicting accounts provided by his family and police, remain under investigation.