The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ordered three police inspectors to pay Rs. 1.5 million in compensation to a Sub-Inspector who was brutally assaulted in a 2022 incident, in a ruling that reinforces accountability for human rights violations by state officials.
The judgment was delivered by Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz, with Justices Janak de Silva and Priyantha Fernando concurring. The Court found that the victim’s fundamental rights had been violated and stressed that the compensation must be paid from the personal funds of the responsible officers, not by the State.
Accordingly, the three officers — including the former Officer-in-Charge of the Marawila Traffic Division — have each been ordered to pay Rs. 500,000 to the petitioner.
The case relates to an incident in 2022, when Sub-Inspector Chathuranga Dissanayake was travelling from Mahawa to Colombo with two companions. He was pursued by a group of police officers who obstructed the road, forcibly stopped his vehicle, and assaulted him. Despite repeatedly identifying himself as a police officer, he was subjected to continuous assault by the officers, who were suspected to be under the influence of alcohol. CCTV footage presented before the Court confirmed the incident.
As a result of the assault, the victim sustained serious injuries to his left arm, affecting his ability to carry out his official duties.
The Court also found that the victim had been unlawfully interdicted following the incident by a former Assistant Superintendent of Police in Gampaha. Declaring the interdiction illegal, the Court ordered the officer to pay Rs. 50,000 in compensation from personal funds.
The ruling sends a clear and strong message that the misuse of power by public officials will not be tolerated, and that violations of fundamental rights will result in personal accountability.