(Sri Lanka Brief/ 06 October 2025)
The mother of the deceased has alleged that her son’s death while in police custody was a case of murder.
Rajendran Kapilan, a 34-year-old resident of Mankulam, Vavuniya, was arrested by the Pesale Police on Thursday, October 2, 2025, on drug-related charges. He died in police custody the following day, Friday, October 3.
Kapilan’s mother claims her son was murdered as a result of police assault.
“We have a tractor. He came here because he has a plough in Mannar. When he arrived, the police arrested him. I was asked to come to court in the morning. When I came, my child was already dead. My child had no illness. This morning, I saw my child’s lifeless body.”
A preliminary examination into the death was conducted by Acting Magistrate Sebamalai Jebanesan on October 3 at Logu Pesale Hospital.
According to provincial correspondents, the post-mortem report has not yet been released, and Kapilan’s body has not been handed over to his family.
Nationwide Search Operations
Over the past nine months, more than five million Sri Lankan citizens have been subjected to intensive search operations, resulting in the arrest of over 140,000 individuals. These operations were jointly conducted by the police, the Special Task Force, and the tri-forces.
Police Media Spokesperson Frederick Udaya Kumara Wutler stated at a press conference in September 2025:
“Throughout this year, we have subjected five million citizens to intensive checks. Through those checks, we have arrested one hundred and forty thousand people. They have been referred for questioning.”
Human Rights Concerns
On August 18, 2025, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka wrote to the newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP), urging him to reconsider the practice of using arrest quotas as a basis for police promotions and to adopt alternative measures.
(With the inputs from Sinhala story on the Leader website)