- Narammala shooting of a civilian by a ‘civvies’ cop, Malimbada youth killing, dissect bitter realities in law enforcement
Several incidents of persons succumbing to death due to shootings or misfires by Police officers, and Police officers being accused of various other wrongdoings have been reported in recent times. The death of a 40-year-old person in the Narammala area due to a shooting by a sub-inspector of Police (SI) and allegations being levelled against the Malimbada and Matara Police Stations in connection to the recent incident of a youth being shot dead in the Malimbada area are some of the most recent examples.
Even though the Police and other related authorities, following such incidents, assured that the law will be enforced against the relevant individuals impartially, it is a serious issue as to whether the implementation of the law against the suspects – be it fairly or unfairly – alone is sufficient. Therefore, it is the inalienable responsibility of the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Public Security under which the Police Department comes, to reduce the possibility of such unfortunate incidents to the maximum possible extent.
Narammala shooting
The incident of the shooting of a 40-year-old carpenter who was returning home after work, by an SI attached to Narammala Police Station has led to great controversy recently. The concerned SI, along with a Police Constable (PC) attached to the same Police Station, had signalled the vehicle driven by the deceased to stop. However, as currently reported, both the SI and the PC had not been wearing the Police uniform at that time. Understandably, no person is prepared to stop their vehicle just because two people in civilian clothes signal to do so, particularly in the backdrop of increasing shootings and other crimes across the country. The deceased had kept driving and had stopped it at one place, while the two Police officers had been chasing him all along. The SI had approached the person in the vehicle and pointed the pistol at him, and the latter had succumbed to death on the spot.
Several bystanders had recorded the SI pacing in a panicked manner on their mobile phones after the shooting. The videos were widely shared on social media platforms, and many social media users were of the view that if the bystanders had not recorded the incident and released the videos on social media platforms, the Police could have fabricated a completely different story about the incident.
Such comments show that the public's trust in the Police has been severely eroded. It is a serious issue as to whether the Police, which is a key Government institution that enforces the law and protects law and order, can continue to fulfil its role in the absence of public trust. After the incident, the Police made a financial donation of Rs. 1 million to the family members of the deceased, but, it is certain that it would not bring any consolation to his family members, who have lost their loved one.
The current Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Deshabandu Tennakoon, who visited the house of the deceased, stated that the law will be enforced against the said SI, in the same manner as the law is enforced against a civilian who commits such an offence. No matter how the law is enforced against the suspect and the punishment is given, the psychological, economic, and social impact of the death of the deceased on his family members, especially his wife and children, cannot be avoided. The deceased person had given job opportunities to several other people and those people and their family members will also be affected in many ways due to the irresponsible behaviour of a Police officer.
When contacted by The Daily Morning, Police Media Spokesman, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) and attorney Nihal Thalduwa said that the action of the suspected SI was incorrect from the beginning of his conduct. He said that every action taken by the SI, such as signalling the vehicle to stop without a uniform, chasing the concerned vehicle and pointing the pistol at the deceased, is far from correct Police conduct.
“If a Police officer is to stop and inspect a vehicle, they must be in uniform. These are the basic rules related to Police officers. In exceptional cases, they may be on duty in civilian clothes, but, even in such cases, one officer in uniform is deployed for the people to understand that they are from the Police.” DIG Thalduwa further said that Police officers have no authority to point a pistol at any suspect or other person if they do not pose any danger to themselves or anyone else.
Commenting on the misconducts of Police officers that have been reported in the recent past, attorney Senaka Perera, an activist who advocates for the rights of prisoners and those arrested by the Police, told The Daily Morning that the professionalism of the Police Department, which should be at an exceptional level, has now reached its lowest. He also claimed that such incidents are regularly reported due to the unprofessional behaviour of many Police officers and the reluctance of the relevant authorities to take proper action regarding such incidents.
“Incidents of Police officers acting unprofessionally are regularly reported, but the Police Department often protects such officers and does not take proper action against them. In addition, certain legal provisions in our country provide protection to Police officers who engage in such actions. Even in relation to the Narammala incident, some parties related to the Police are trying to interpret the incident as something that happened due to the negligence of the SI, but, why did he (SI) point the pistol at the head of that person? What law provides Police officers to point pistols at the head of someone? Therefore, all these incidents cannot be recorded and considered to have happened due to negligence or ignorance.” Perera also said that institutions such as the National Police Commission (NPC), which are established to supervise the Police Department, are also not performing their role properly, which is the main reason for the collapse of the professionalism of the Police. Considering these issues, he said that the time has come to improve the Police as an institution instead of improving individual officers.
When queried regarding Perera's allegation that the Police Department's professionalism has declined to a greater extent at present, DIG Thalduwa replied: “Not only within the Police, there are issues in every other institution. When the world undergoes changes, its consequences affect the entire society.”
Malimbada shooting
The Malimbada and Matara Police Stations have meanwhile been charged with the incident of a 24-year-old youth being shot dead in a mobile phone shop in the Malimbada area. The shop was run by a youth named Dilshan Madushanka, and one of his friends was shot dead by an unidentified person. It is currently reported that the criminals have targeted the owner of the shop, Madushanka, and since he was not in the store at the time, his friend has been shot. With this incident, there has been a conversation about the threats that had allegedly been received by Madushanka, who had earlier filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition against the Malimbada and Matara Police.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, Madushanka said that he had been arrested by the Malimbada Police in 2020 over charges of breaking into a wine store. “When I was at the Malimbada Police, I was beaten by the Police and my legs and hands were broken. I was then taken into the Matala Police, and there also I was beaten by the Police. They did not produce me before a court and were sent home in the end. In 2021, I filed a FR petition before the Supreme Court against Malimbada and Matara Police Stations over this incident,” he said.
Following the filing of the FR application, he claimed that certain Police officers attached to the two said Police Stations, through some other individuals, threatened him to withdraw the FR application. Although he has lodged complaints with the relevant Senior DIG over the matter, he charged that no investigation has been carried out into the threats. “I didn’t have any other issue with any other party. I have not received any threat other than those who forced me to withdraw the FR application. My friend (the deceased) also did not have any threat. Therefore, it is my belief that the Police is linked to this shooting.”
When questioned about this, DIG Thalduwa said that there has been no disclosure so far that any officer attached to the Malimbada or Matara Police are involved in the incident. “Currently, we cannot say that a Police officer is or officers are involved in this incident, and nor can we say that the Police is not involved. Investigations are underway. If any Police officer is found to be involved in this incident, the law will be enforced against them.”
The continuous reporting of incidents of Police officers misbehaving will certainly hinder the establishment of law and order in the country. Currently, the Government, especially the Police, is focused on combating crime in the country through operations such as “Yukthiya” (Justice) aimed at combating drug trafficking and organised crime. While doing so, the Police should also properly act on the handful of Police officers who commit various wrongdoings. If the lost confidence in the Police among the public is not re-established, it is clear that the country will move in a harmful direction. It would no doubt bring many positive results if the relevant institutions prepare a quick programme to instil professional discipline in all sectors, rather than using institutions that are very important to the public, such as the Police, to fulfil the wishes of a few.