Police Commission warns strict action violating laws during ’Yukthiya’ operation

In response to growing concerns from various organizations, including the lawyers’ association, the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission and the US Embassy, the National Police Commission has issued a set of guidelines to Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Thennakoon regarding the ongoing nationwide “Yukthiya” Operation. The Commission emphasized the need to conduct operations strictly in accordance with the law.

The guidelines aim to address public apprehensions and ensure that the operation, designed to combat the escalating drug menace and organized crime, adheres to legal and human rights standards.

The National Police Commission, which is very focused on the objective of Operation “Yukthiya”, acknowledged the criticisms and concerns raised through the mass media and social media regarding the operation.

The Commission said that it has extensively studied the complaints forwarded to them, leading to the formulation of specific guidelines aimed at maintaining transparency, upholding human rights, and preventing any potential abuse of power.

The Commission has instructed the Acting IGP Deshabandu to ensure that all activities related to the “Yukthiya” operation are carried out within the existing legal framework of the country. The Commission emphasized the need to conduct operations strictly in accordance with the law.

Also, the Commission instructed that all officials involved in the operation must ensure that human rights are not violated during the execution of their duties.

The National Police Commission has warned that strict disciplinary action will be taken against any officers found to have acted against the law.

The Commission also instructed the IGP to communicate these guidelines to all police officials involved in the “Yukthiya” operation.

Meanwhile,  in some cases during the operation “Yukthiya”, the suspects caught by the police officers are excessively assaulted and harassed, Basil Fernando, a director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, told Mojo News that if a suspect is brutally assaulted, it will be condemned by the whole society.

The police have not been empowered to attack a suspect or any other person brutally.

“Who gave the authority to these police officers to attack like this? The constitution of the country is totally against these attacks. The law states that those who torture in this way should be given a prison sentence of 07 years. The minister in charge of the country’s law must resign.” he said.

“Two years ago on the 11th of January two hand grenades were found in this church by workers. if those hand grenades got blasted, there would have been a lot of damage to the church as well as the people coming to the church. But before investigating the matter, the current Inspector General of Police came to the church and arrested three church workers and a person who was praying in the church and tried to force him to confess by causing various troubles.” told the media, Colombo Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith yesterday at a silent protest held opposite the All Saints Church, Borella, Colombo 08 to show opposition to the incident.

“But when we checked the CCTV footage of the church, we saw that that morning someone came and left some parcel. Although the person can be seen properly, the police have not conducted a proper investigation to find out who he is so far,” said Archbishop RAnjith.

“The employee of the church was accused of planting this bomb. They tried to mislead the incident. In this way, the former government and the police acted very unfairly in this matter. So we ask even today, when that person is very clearly visible, why was he not arrested and action taken against him? Who were you trying to hide?” he said.

The Archbishop said, “Therefore, we ask the Inspector General of Police appointed by the government who implemented the “Yukthiya” operation, For whose needs did that person bring a grenade and place it in the church? Why not investigate it properly? Please don’t try to hide the truth even now, and tell the truth about this incident as well as the events of the disappearance of Lasantha Wickramatunga, Prageeth Eknaligoda, and others in the Easter attack.”

The picture shows two Police officers brutally attacking one suspect in the daylight in the afternoon in an area in Kurunegala, recently.

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