Asantha Arvinda of Madawalamula, Baddegma road, Galle, aged 24, cook by profession was acquitted from the forged charges in the case filled against him by the Pitabeddara police station and was released. The Human Rights Commission concluding their investigation of the human rights case filled by Asanka,s father, has reached to the observations- that the clause 12 (1) of the Sri Lankan Government’s constitution has been violated, Rupees five thousand should be paid to the victim by the 9 police officers and a copy of their investigation was sent to the Inspector General of police for taking the disciplinary actions against the involved police officers
On 28th February,2008 Asantha Arvinda together with his friend Prabath Chaminda was going by a motor bike to a house of Asantha‘s relations in Pitbeddara,. On their way to the relations, the side glass of the bike has been slightly touched with the hand of the truck driver who was crossing the road after getting down from the truck which had been parked on the road. The two parties have argued on this matter and after that all have been dispersed. Later, the truck which came very fast has followed the motor bike by which they were going and has knocked down the motor bike and gone over it.
Due to this incident the rider at the back had got injured severely and the bike had been seriously damaged. At that time the truck driver who has got scared had run away and had come to that place later with the police and has assaulted the injured rider inhumanly. After that Aravinda had shouted requesting for some water and at that time the truck driver had poured some liquid from a bottle into a cup and had poured it into the mouth of Aravinda. Understanding the liquid as acid, he had thrown it away from his mouth but the truck driver has thrown the remaining acid in the cup on to Aravinda’s face. As a result of this acid throwing, Asantha’s left eye and the left side of his face has been burnt.
After that both persons (Asantha and his friend) have been taken to the Pitabeddara police station and have assaulted after hanging them. During that night, the truck driver had brought several bottles of arrack. After some time the truck driver under the influence of liquor came with the O.I.C, entered to the police cell and assaulted inhumanly and poured arrack into the wounds of the two people. After that at about 2.00 a.m. injured persons in the cell have been bathed by throwing buckets of water into the cell. They had been kept in the police cell for 2 days without any treatment or food. Later Asantha who was in a critical condition was admitted to the Morawaka hospital, later transferred to Matara hospital and after a few days to the Colombo eye hospital. After taking residencial treatments for 4 months , due to the bad condition of his left eye, it was removed. Eye Specialists had stated that the delaying of treatment is the cause for the removal of the eye. The O.I.C of Pitabeddara police also denoted Aravinda as a notorious criminal and after taking money from Aravinda’s father, the O.I.C has hold a media conference gathering the divisional media journalists and has entangled Aravinda into 6 cases of false allegations and has published them in the media through their media friends. .
When searching the reason for this connection of O.I.C with the truck driver, it came to light the facts that the truck driver was a timber dealer in that area and he has supplied timber when the O.I.C was building his house and also has helped at the funeral of the O.I.C’s wife and that person has borne a well amount of expense for it.
Later, according to a complaint made by Asantha’s father, an A.S.P. of Matara has taken a statement from the said O.I.C and because of a sudden heart attack which occurred at that time, the O.I.C was taken to the hospital and on the way to the hospital he had died.
Now Asantha Aravinda has been acquitted and released from 4 forged cases made by Pitabeddara police station. But cases with regard to the forged charges of keeping fire arms and bombs are still going on.
As a result of Asantha’s farther’s continuous pressure Pitabeddara police has filed 2 cases against the truck driver for the offense of not preventing an accident, and for throwing acid. .
And also Asantha Aravinda has filed a case in theMatara district court, against the police officers of the Pitabeddara police, demanding a compensation of Rupees 10 million and also a human rights violation case in the high courts against 12 officers of the same police.