“A bottle of arrack and Rs. 1,000 or 2,000”: Monk slams Police at Homagama youth’s funeral

WhatNews (සිංහල) reports that Ishara Harsha Kumara’s funeral was held on October 29 and that the Kasbewa Additional District Judge issued an order prohibiting demonstrations and marches during the rites. According to WhatNews (සිංහල), Kahathuduwa Police sought the order from the Kasbewa District Court the day before. Hiru News reports that a court restricted protests at the funeral, while Hiru News (සිංහල) says the order named Kumara’s wife and four other people.

WhatNews (සිංහල) reports that Kumara died after being assaulted while in Homagama Police custody. At the funeral, a Buddhist monk said he had raised concerns about conduct by Homagama Police officers with the subject minister at an event at the Homagama Divisional Secretariat about a month before the death, according to Newswire. Newswire reports that the monk said officials acknowledged receiving reports of concern and undertook to address them.

Newswire reports that the monk alleged another associate of Kumara had also suffered an assault and been taken into custody in comparable circumstances. He also alleged that Homagama police officer Gurusinghe had assaulted local residents in various incidents, sometimes causing broken bones, according to Newswire.

Newswire reports that the monk criticised the police and government over deaths in custody, referring to a youth from Badulla who died while held by Welikada Police. He alleged that without media coverage, Kumara’s family might have been told he died of a heart attack. Newswire also reports that the monk said the deceased was neither the first nor expected to be the last person to die in such circumstances.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.