Beating and arrest of Journalist Tharindu Uduwaragedara HRCSL to summon everyone linked for inquiry

31 July 2023 10:30 am Views - 302

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   
Saying that they had immediately intervened in the incident of Journalist Tharindu Uduwaragedara being beaten and arrested by police, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) yesterday said they will summon everyone linked to the case for inquiry. 

The HRCSL said shortly after Uduwaragedara was arrested and brought to the Borella Police Station, their Rapid Response Team visited the station and inquired about his condition.   
Issuing a communiqué they said the Rapid Response Team of the HRCSL met with the Officer-in-Charge of the Borella Police and recommended that Uduwaragedara, who was said to have been beaten by the policemen inside a jeep, be referred to a Judicial Medical Officer (JMO).   
“HRCSL will call for reports from relevant parties alleged to have been connected to the incident and summon all the concerned individuals as well for an inquiry,” the communiqué said.   

Meanwhile, Uduwaragedara who is being treated at the Colombo National Hospital told the Daily Mirror last evening that he was expecting more test results to come by today to determine his condition.   
“The report of my right eye test is yet to arrive and based on its results the doctors will decide to discharge me today,” he said.   
Uduwaragedara was dragged out of a trishaw by a group of police riot controlling unit sleuths and bundled him into a police jeep before manhandling and beating him couple of strikes amidst his attempts to identify him as a journalist, reporting the joint trade union protest against the IMF deal in Borella on Friday afternoon.