Police assault Jaffna human rights commission officer

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 September 2004, 10:05 GMT]
The officer in charge of Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission in Jaffna, Mr.Ruwan Chandrasekera, and two of his colleagues were severely assaulted by Policemen at the main Police station in the northern town Monday. Mr.Chandrasekera said he had gone to the Jaffna Police station Monday afternoon around 1.30 p.m. to investigate an arrest when he was assaulted by the Policemen.

The Policemen had told the human rights commission officer that he no authority to enter their office, according to Mr. Chandrasekera. ''We are taking up the matter with higher authorities'', he said.

The HRC's chief officer in Jaffna had gone to investigate a complaint by the parents of a man said missing after he was allgedly arrested by Jaffna town Police at Inuvil Sunday.

Police had told the parents that they arrested their son Mr. Ratnasingham Chandramohan, 21 although his motorbike was in Police station premises. Another man who was arrested along with their son had confirmed that Mr. Chandramohan was in Police custody.

However, Police told Mr. Chandrasekera that they were not holding Mr. Chandramohan.

The human rights officer said that he saw Mr. Chandramohan being taken away in a Police truck after he was assaulted.