The Jathika Balaya Organisation and the HNDA Students today said the Police had acknowledged at the Human Rights Commission, the responsibility for attacking HNDA students during the protest held last Thursday.

A group of Police officers, including Senior DIG Pujith Jayasundara, DIG Gamini Mathurata, and SSP Champika Siriwardana, HNDA students and the representatives of the Jathika Balaya, which lodged the complaint with the Human Rights Commission on the Police attack, today appeared before the HRC to make their submissions over the attack.

The organizer of the Jathika Balaya Sarath Manamendra told the media outside the HRC that DIG Gamini Mathurata had acknowledged the responsibility for the attack on students before the HRC Commissioner and assured to avoid such actions in future.  

Meanwhile, HNDA Convener Dhammika Ruwan Kumara also confirmed that that Police had accepted responsibility of stopping the student march with Police barricades and that moment Police had acted on their own decision without any influence of the government.

He said that the Commissioner had questioned the Police about the attack on the students last Thursday and as to how the Police were able to allow peaceful protest of the students of IUSF and HNDA on Tuesday.

SSP Ajith Rohana, the Counsel appearing on behalf of the Police Department said that the Police actions were not personal and the officers had simply carried out their duties according to the law.

He said the HRC probe into the incident was concluded yesterday and the Police was awaiting recommendations of the HRC.  

“We will submit further medical reports and necessary evidence to HRC in future. Several other probes are still continuing into the incident,” he said.(Darshana Sanjeewa and Indika Sri Aravinda)

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