A sergeant and two constables of the Polonnaruwa Divisional Anti-Corruption Unit have been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs. 15,000 each by the Polonnaruwa High Court.
The conviction relates to the brutal assault, torture, and killing of hotel manager Herman Quintus Perera in the Kaduruwela area of Polonnaruwa on World Temperance Day in 2004.
On the day of the incident, four police officers—including the then Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Anti-Corruption Unit—visited a local hotel seeking alcohol. The manager refused service, citing Temperance Day restrictions. Enraged by the refusal, the officers forcibly abducted the manager, subjected him to inhumane assault and torture, resulting in his death.
A post-mortem examination revealed 26 external injuries, including 14 severe contusions, confirming the extent of the violence.
Subsequently, charges of culpable homicide were filed against the four officers. The case was heard intermittently over 21 years, before 11 different High Court judges, culminating in a verdict delivered by High Court Judge Ruchira Weliwatte.
While three officers were convicted, the former OIC, who was the first accused, passed away during the trial.
(With the inputs from the Sinhala language Satahan website)