Detainee's rights case cleared

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 July 1999, 13:05 GMT]
The Supreme Court yesterday granted leave to Trevor Lenox Dunstan Shokman of Wattala and presently detained at Kalutara remand prison, to proceed with his fundamental rights case.

The case came up for hearing before a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice G.P.S.de Silva, Justice F.Wijetunge and Justice Shiranee Bandaranaike.

On behalf of the Forum for Human Dignity, Attorney-at-law Trini Gordon Rayen supported the petition.

In the petition, Trevor Shokman stated that police came to his house and arrested him on August 18,1998.

The next day he was taken to the Kandy Police station where he was questioned by police about his brother, Tony Shokman. He was harassed and tortured at the Kandy police station, he says.

He says did not understand the abnormal behaviour of the police personnel.

Police officers used knuckle-dusters to assault him he says. He lost some teeth due to assault by police.

He is still in custody at Kalutara remand prison. He informed the Superintendent of the Kalutara remand prison as he received threats from other prisoners.

Thereafter, he was under judicial custody of the 9th respondent in the case, the Superintendent of Kalutara remand prison.

The petitioner further stated that a delegate of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) visited him.

After the visit by the ICRC delegate, he was taken to the office of the 8th respondent, ASP, Special Investigation Unit, Kandy and was assaulted again.

The petitioner appealed to the Supreme Court to declare that his fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution had been violated and to order a compensation of Rs. 500,000.

The petitioner has cited ten persons as respondents including the Inspector General of Police, the Attorney General and the Superintendent of Kalutara remand prison.

The other seven respondents are police personnel attached to the Kandy police.

The Supreme Court granted leave to the petitioner to proceed with his case and ordered to issue notice on the respondents to file objections on August 27. The hearing was fixed for October 27, 1999.