In a deeply troubling incident, the Embilipitiya police subjected Susil Vitaranage, a 55-year-old father of two from Sevanagala, Kiriwewa, to severe torture. Vitaranage was completely stripped, tied up with chilies, had chili juice applied to his lower back and lips, beaten with hand and hose pipe, had gasoline poured into a shopping bag which was then placed over his head, and was beaten again.
The incident occurred on the 28th while Vitaranage was working in his paddy field. Three individuals, claiming to be from the Southern Province Anti-Corruption Unit, arrived in a white car and took him, blindfolded, to a nearby forest in the Kumbugoda Ara area where the brutal assault took place. He was then forced to sign two statements at a shop in Kumbugoda Ara before being left behind the Embilipitiya bus stop. There, he was further assaulted by four police officers and taken to the Embilipitiya police station.
Despite his son’s inquiries at the police station on the 29th, authorities denied any knowledge of Vitaranage’s detention. He managed to escape from the police at around 2:30 am on the 30th and contacted the Hambantota Human Rights First Aid Center, which operates under the guidance of the Right to Life Human Rights Centre, an organization dedicated to human rights for over two decades. The Center promptly took action, ensuring Vitaranage was referred to the Hambantota Base Hospital for necessary medical treatment and legal support.