Image: The sketch published by the police to seek information about an alleged gunman and Lahiru Madhusankha who was wrongly arrested and assaulted.
“You are the Man! You are the shooter! You are the ones who are coming like this,” — these were the words Lahiru Madhusankha recalls hearing as Borella police officers allegedly assaulted him inside the station.
Lahiru, a young businessman from Deraniyagala, claims he was brutally attacked and detained after being mistaken for a suspect in a recent shooting. According to Lahiru, the ordeal began when he travelled to Colombo on 1 January to collect goods for his small-scale business and stayed overnight at his wife’s house on Baseline Mawatha.
The next morning, police officers in civilian clothes arrived at his wife’s residence and questioned her regarding a shooting that occurred in Bodhiyawatta, Kohuwala, on the night of 30 December. The police had circulated a hand-drawn sketch of the suspect on social media, seeking public assistance to identify the individual.
Upon learning this, Lahiru voluntarily went to the Borella Police Station to provide a statement and assist with the investigation. However, what followed was a nightmare.
Lahiru’s Account of the Assault
“I heard a sound and the door opened. When I looked, there was a pistol and a T56 rifle. Three or four men in civilian clothes entered. They questioned me and asked for my phone. I handed it over and asked what was happening. They said there had been a small shooting. I told them, ‘Sir, if there’s anything I can do, I’ll come to the police station and help.’ So I went voluntarily.”
Lahiru says he was taken to the crime branch of Borella Police by an officer named Devinda. There, he was interrogated by several officers, most in civilian clothes, except for one SI in uniform. “He showed me a photo of the suspect and said, ‘Mother, I am the one who dialed the number.’ Then he started hitting me — in the chest, pulling my beard and hair, slapping both ears at once. He squeezed my chest and stomped on my knee, which was already injured and plastered after a bike accident. They kept saying, ‘Tell the truth, tell the truth.’ I begged them, ‘Budu sir, don’t do that to me.’”
The officers allegedly asked if Lahiru had served in the army. When he confirmed, they accused him of being the shooter. Lahiru was detained at Borella Police Station for nearly two days before being released on the afternoon of 3 January.
Police Response
When contacted by Ada Derana, Borella Police stated that Lahiru was arrested on suspicion and later released on police bail after verifying his information. The Chief of Police denied allegations of assault.
( Adopted from a Sinhala language news story published in Satahana web site)
Lahiru Madushanka, who was arrested and assaulted for allegedly forcing him to accept a murder, will file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on 07 January 2026, and is scheduled to reveal the facts about the incident and future actions.