The Supreme Court has fixed October 16 for the hearing of a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by the father of a youth who allegedly died while in police custody following his arrest in connection with a shooting incident in Kotahena in March last year.
The petition was taken up before a three-judge bench comprising Justices Mahinda Samayawardhena, Arjuna Obeysekera, and Gihan Kulatunga.
The petitioner, the father of Warna Lakmal, alleges that his son was one of two young men who died while under police custody after being arrested in connection with a shooting reported in the Kotahena area on 21 March 2025. The Officer-in-Charge of the Kotahena Police Station and several other officials have been named as respondents in the petition.
According to the petition, the two youths were taken into police custody following investigations into the shooting incident. It is alleged that both men subsequently died while being held by the police, raising serious concerns regarding the treatment of detainees and the protection of constitutional rights while in state custody.
The petitioner contends that the death of his son constitutes a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution and has sought Rs. 10 million in compensation from the State.
The case comes amid continued public and civil society scrutiny of custodial deaths in Sri Lanka, where human rights advocates have repeatedly called for independent investigations, accountability mechanisms, and stronger safeguards against torture and ill-treatment in places of detention.
Attorneys-at-Law Geetha Karunarathna and B. Marusho appeared for the petitioner on the instructions of Attorney-at-Law Bhagya Peiris.
The Supreme Court is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine whether the actions of the respondents resulted in a violation of the deceased youth’s constitutional rights.