In the wake of the controversial custodial death of Sathsara Nimesh, the Police has announced plans to install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras inside detention cells – a move aimed at addressing mounting public outrage and calls for accountability.
Police Spokesperson SSP Buddhika Manatunga confirmed to The Sunday Morning that discussions were underway and implementation was imminent. However, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala has cautioned that surveillance alone is not enough to address the deep-rooted culture of abuse within law enforcement.
The incident has also renewed criticism over the Government’s long-standing failure to deliver on Police reform, including unfulfilled accountability measures once proposed by former Justice Minister Ali Sabry.
Sathsara Nimesh’s case
The death of Nimesh, a suspect detained at a local Police station, has become emblematic of the struggle with custodial violence. According to Public Security Minister Wijepala, a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation is underway, but preliminary findings suggest no direct Police assault.
Instead, SSP Manatunga claimed that Nimesh, allegedly under the influence of drugs, repeatedly slammed his head against the cell wall and on the floor, leading to fatal injuries.
“About 16 inmates were present in the cell at the time of the incident. Any person including the media may clarify from those in the cell what actually took place, and it could be understood what really happened. We have recorded their statements already.
“Even if you were to observe the footage of the actions of the victim, which is available on the internet and reported by several media stations, you would understand that the victim was heavily intoxicated and drugged. The video footage was apparently recorded half-an-hour before his arrest,” he said.
Minister Wijepala added: “We have recorded about 20 witness statements, including from cellmates, and none indicate Police brutality. The evidence suggests he was intoxicated and behaving erratically. However, the Police may be biased in these cases, so we have handed over the case to the CID.”
However, human rights organisations and legal advocates, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), remain deeply sceptical, citing Sri Lanka’s long history of custodial torture cover-ups.
Whilst the BASL has released a statement, BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya could not be contacted for a comment.
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has launched an independent inquiry, with Commissioner Nimal Punchihewa confirming that a comprehensive report will be released within a month.
Custodial deaths
The tragic case of Nimesh represents just one in a disturbing pattern of custodial deaths that have plagued Sri Lanka over the past decade, with multiple cases following an alarmingly similar script.
Typically, these incidents begin with official Police claims attributing deaths to suicide or pre-existing medical conditions, followed by delayed or inconclusive post-mortem reports that fail to provide definitive answers. Witness testimonies in such cases often curiously align with Police narratives, while disciplinary actions against involved officers, when taken at all, tend to be minimal and largely symbolic.
In Nimesh’s specific case, Public Security Minister Wijepala stated that two Police officers on duty at the time had been interdicted and that a recommendation had also been presented to the National Police Commission for the removal of the station’s Officer-in-Charge (OIC). He claimed these actions had been framed solely as responses to negligence rather than any acknowledgment of assault.
On 9 April, Colombo Additional Magistrate Kemintha Perera ordered the exhumation of Nimesh’s body to enable a three-member panel of medical experts to conduct a fresh post-mortem and submit a fresh report to the court.
CCTV in Police cells
Amid mounting public outrage, SSP Manatunga announced that all Police stations would soon be equipped with CCTV cameras in detention areas – a move strongly recommended by former Minister of Justice Sabry.
“We have plans to utilise our own funds and we are finalising plans to implement CCTV coverage in all 604 Police stations around the country.
“In the past, there may have been incidents and coverups, but we don’t stand by that culture. Even in incidents such as that of Nimesh, where the Police did not have any hand in the injuries sustained, the public is already convinced that he was a victim of Police brutality. People are convinced that custodial deaths are always the result of Police brutality. This measure will ensure transparency and deter misconduct,” Manatunga said.
The idea of installing CCTV surveillance in Police stations was a central component of comprehensive Police reforms proposed by Sabry during his time in office. Sabry told The Sunday Morning that his ministry had meticulously crafted a multi-pronged strategy to overhaul law enforcement accountability.
This ambitious plan included three key initiatives: the introduction of body-worn cameras for officers modelled after systems successfully implemented in the US and UK, designed to record all Police interactions with suspects; a phased approach beginning with the installation of surveillance systems in 100 high-risk Police stations with the most egregious histories of abuse allegations; and the creation of specialised child-friendly complaint centres featuring purpose-built interview spaces that will allow minors to report abuse without enduring the intimidating atmosphere of conventional Police stations.
Despite securing Cabinet approval for these measures, the reform package ultimately floundered due to a combination of bureaucratic stagnation and protracted disputes over funding allocations, leaving yet another well-conceived Police modernisation effort unrealised. “We had the blueprint ready and we were preparing to move further,” Sabry said. “But after the government changed, the momentum was lost.”
The three major initiatives that promised to transform Police accountability did not materialise owing to a plethora of reasons.
Firstly, the body camera programme sought to equip selected traffic and narcotics units with recording devices, implementing a secure automatic upload system for evidentiary footage and drafting supporting legislation to ensure courtroom admissibility. This initiative faltered due to resistance from within the Police force itself over privacy concerns and the prohibitive costs of equipment and data infrastructure.
Secondly, the CCTV installation plan adopted a phased approach, initially targeting interrogation rooms and cells in 100 high-risk stations before expanding nationwide by 2024, but this ambitious surveillance project became a casualty of post-2022 economic austerity measures and waning political commitment following the government transition.
Thirdly, the child-friendly justice centre initiative proposed creating specialised, trauma-informed spaces staffed by trained social workers rather than uniformed officers to interview minor victims – a progressive concept that was unfortunately deprioritised as the Government shifted focus to addressing more immediate economic and public health crises.
Together, these stalled reforms represent a missed opportunity to fundamentally transform Sri Lanka's approach to law enforcement accountability and victim protection.
Can CCTV fix the problem?
While Public Security Minister Wijepala acknowledged the benefits of CCTV, he expressed doubts about its effectiveness as a standalone solution.
“Even with cameras, abuse can still happen in blind spots,” Wijepala cautioned. “The real issue is Police culture, the belief that suspects deserve to be beaten. No camera can change that mindset overnight.”
His remarks highlight a fundamental challenge that his Government wishes to change. “Sri Lanka’s Police force has operated with near-total impunity for decades, protected by bureaucratic elements, and beating prisoners at will. This culture has already crystallised but it must change. Sadly we have inherited this culture, and we must bring change now,” he said.
“Whilst CCTV inside cells is a good idea, implementation involves a lot of money, so it is not really practical at this time. Instead, we should work on creating awareness through knowledge and also punishing offenders. Knowledge and punishment, I feel, are stronger mechanisms to address the problem,” he added.