HRC records bizarre torture by Ampara Police

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 July 2001, 13:46 GMT]
The Investigation Officer of the Human Rights Commission, Mr.S.Sritharan, visited Boossa camp recently and recorded evidence from four persons who were detained and tortured by the Counter Subversive Unit of the Police in Amparai. He said the suspects bore clear marks of torture on their bodies.

The prisoners said that a constable with the Counter Subversive Unit of the Police in Ampara had allegedly subjected them to bizarre forms of torture; that he made them eat cow dung and the vomit of fellow prisoners; that he urinated into the mouth of a prisoner, that he smashed the fingers of another prisoner with the handle of a mammoty (a type of heavy hoe). The prisoners who were tortured at the Ampara CSU said that Policemen pored boiling water down their throat as a consequence of which one them is unable to speak.

The following is the full text of the report:

Anthonipillai Reginold, (34) 124/6 A, Sorikkalmunai in Sammanthurai, in the Ampara district, presently at Boossa Prison No. 3995.

The said Anthonipillai Reginold was arrested on 18.09.00 at his residence by Police personnel of the Counter Subversive Unit of the Ampara Police without being given any reasons for arrest and was detained at Ampara Police Station. He was a bus conductor in the Eastern Bus Company.

The said Anthonipillai Reginold states that while in detention at the C.S.U., he was tortured in the following mentioned manner by Police Constable Sanoon (Police No. 20810).

(i) A ballpoint pen was inserted into his ear and was forced into the ear.

(ii) A Mixture of chili powder and salt was forced into his mouth and he was made to chew it. This made him to vomit. Another suspect named Maruthiah Yogaraja ( Boossa Prison No. 3852 ) who was in the same cell was forced to eat the vomit.

(iii) He was forced to drink sewage water from a nearby drain.

(iv) He was beaten with a handle of an axe on his upper left arm.

(v) He was burnt with cigarettes and he has burn marks on his left hand in three places, on his hip in two places and on his penis.

Further he was assaulted by the said Sanoon, Channa and Wijewardena of the CSU, Ampara in the following manner: He was handcuffed and beaten with a guava pole on his back and all over his body and trampled on. The said Sanoon while torturing him accused him of gathering information for the LTTE, and got him to sign several sheets of paper, the contents of which were shown to him.

Maruthaiah Yogarajah, 43, Narayanan Veethi, Periya Neelavanai, Kalmunai in the Ampara disctrict, states as follows:

He was arrested on 14.09.2000 by Police Personnel of the Periya Neelavanai Police post without being given any reason and was handed over to the Kalmunai Police Station. The next day he was handed over to the CSU, Ampara.

He was a driver at the time of his arrest.

The said Yogaraja states that while in detention at the CSU, he was tortured in the following manner by Police Constable Sanoon (PC 20810)

(i) Boiling water was poured into his mouth.

(ii) He was forced to eat cow dung.

(iii) A mixture of Chilli powder and salt was forced into the mouth of Anothnipillai Reginold (Boossa No. 3995) a fellow prisoner. Reginold vomited it and Sanoon forced the said Yogaraja who was in the same cell to eat the vomit.

(iv) He was beaten with a bamboo and wire. He has marks of injury on his body.



The said Sanoon while torturing him accused him of being a supporter of the LTTE, and got him to sign several sheets of paper the contents of which were not shown to him.

Nadarajah Rasalingam, 48, of the Rajan Bakery, Manat Senai, Kalmunai. He is the owner of Rajan Bakery states as follows:

He was arrested by the CSU, Ampara on 18.09.2000 from his bakery. He was assaulted during the time of detention and investigation by CSU personnel, especially by PC Sanoon ( PC 20810 ). Rajasingham further said that Sanoon trampled his face with boots, so that he sustained injuries to his left eye. Boiling water was poured into his mouth on one occasion. A polythene bag soaked in petrol was put over his head and then assaulted by the said Sanoon. He was also beaten with bamboo and sticks.

He further said that PC Sanoon forced him to sign a paper which was prepared by the Policeman.

Muniyandi Selvarasa, ( 35 ), of Markandu Veethi, Pandiruppu division- 1, Kalmunai, states as follows:

He was arrested by the CSU, Ampara on 18.09.2000. During his detention at CSU, Ampara, he was tortured in the following manner by the Police Constable Sanoon (20810).

(i) He was handcuffed and his hands were placed on a table and his fingers were beaten with a pole, as a result of which the fingers of his right hand are broken. He is unable to use the fingers of either hand for any work.

(ii) He was beaten with the handle of a Mammoty.

(iii) Boiling water was forcibly poured into his mouth and he is unable to take any solid food and has to live on only liquids. Also he is not in a position to speak properly.

(iv) The said Police Constable Sanoon tore the registration card given to him by the ICRC. Sanoon then inserted the torn card into his mouth and urinated into his mouth.