A youth was arrested by the pugoda police for stealing money died after being admitted to ragama hospital due to illness inside the police cell on 12th of September. 21-year-old Gayan Pushpakumara a resident in Pugoda, Madawala Kanda had died in this manner. In this area a person gives a packet of drugs in the morning to other persons who is addicted to drugs on daily basis and after that employs them to hired work which are taken by the drug dealer. Gayan was also a worker of him and on 11th of September Gayan was assinged to las cement stones in a neighbor house. A money bag has been stolen from the motorbike of that house while gayan and another person working. The owner of the house has informed regarding the incident to the person who brought gayan and another person to work.
Accordingly, he became suspicious of gayan, took him away, beat him and asked for money. later he himself had brought Gayan home. The Pugoda police had also come to the house in search of gayan following a complaint lodged by the owner of the stolen money.
according to gayans wife and mother the Pugoda police OIC kicked Gayan three times in the abdomen and Gayan vomited four times. In each case gayan has said that he did not steal the money. They say that he was arrested by the police on the 11th and Gayan’s relatives who went to the police station were not allowed to see gayan inside the police cell. Meanwhile he was taken to the Ragama hospital due to illness and the money was found in the house where the money was lost.
As a result, Gayan’s wife had gone to the pugoda police 12th of September to lodge a complaint against the person who had given work to Gayan and the Pugoda Police regarding the assault, but the complaint was not accepted and relatives have taken steps to launch a complaint with the Gampaha SSP regarding the incident.
Gayan’s relatives further say that it was only later that they came to know the gayan was dead.
However, Acting Inspector General of police CD Jayasinghe has been appointed as a senior superintendent of police of the equestrian division to conduct an immediate investigation into the matter. Mr. Wickramaratne had acted. Police Media Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana stated that stern action will be taken against the pugoda OIC and other if it is proved that they have abused their power.