The Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF) today accused the Slave Island Police of ‘heavily’ assaulting the student activists who were arrested yesterday and depriving them of medical care for over 18 hours.

According to IUSF Convener Najith Indika who spoke to the media a short while ago, four of the undergraduates who suffered injuries while in the Slave Island Police custody have been admitted to the Colombo General Hospital. “We have received information that several more victimized student activists are due to be hospitalized for medical care,” he added.

Responding to IUSF allegations, Police Media Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana told Daily Mirror acknowledged ‘necessary force’ was used during a confrontation that broke out between the Slave Island Police officials and a group of undergraduates yesterday, when they resisted being taken into custody.

As for the accusations concerning the arbitrary nature of the arrests and the absence of arrest warrants, he said, “among the arrested undergraduates was a group who violated a restraining order issued by the Colombo Chief Magistrate. Others arrests were made under three warrants, two charges of non-compliance of court order and 12 accounts of being charged of obstructing police orders. It should also be noted that some of these students had partaken in unlawful assemblies and the Police has the provisions to arrest such individuals without a warrant.”

Meanwhile, IUSF Convener Najith Indika today said they are planning to take legal action against the Slave Island Police officials for assaults and the ‘inhumane treatment’ of the arrested undergraduates.

A total of sixteen undergraduates who were part of a campaign that urged authorities to reinstate the original course duration of four years for the Allied Sciences Degree, were arrested before the University Grants Commission and in the Slave Island area yesterday afternoon. (Lakna Paranamanna)