Suspect Alleges Police Torture in Doctor Assault Case

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court has ordered a formal investigation into serious allegations of police brutality made by a former military officer currently in remand custody over the alleged sexual assault of a female doctor at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital.

The directive was issued by Chief Magistrate Nalaka Sanjeewa Jayasuriya to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Prabath Withanage, following a court appearance by the suspect, who claimed he was subjected to inhumane treatment while in police custody.

The suspect, a former army soldier, alleged that officers from the Galnewa Police and the Special Task Force (STF) assaulted him during his arrest and detention. 

He claimed that a blunt object was forcibly inserted into his rectum, causing internal bleeding. The court was informed that this alleged abuse occurred after his arrest in connection with the sexual assault case.

During the hearing, the suspect also stated that the incident involving the doctor was consensual, not coercive. He requested the court to review any available CCTV footage from the route between the hospital’s second gate and the doctor’s residence to verify his claim.

The Magistrate instructed the ASP to investigate both the allegations of police torture and the suspect’s claim regarding the consensual nature of the incident. A progress report on these investigations is to be submitted to the court.

The suspect, identified as KB Nilantha Maduranga Rathnayake, a resident of Galnewa New Town and a former soldier, is currently in remand custody until May 26. He is one of two suspects in the case, the other being a Buddhist monk.

The court had previously ordered the police to send the victim’s recovered mobile phone to the Government Analyst for forensic examination, as it had allegedly been hidden by the suspect after the incident.

No legal representation was present for the suspect during the proceedings.

A senior police official noted that the suspect’s statements may be an attempt to mislead the investigation and that the claim of consensual interaction appears to be a calculated defense.