SC orders compensation to Tamil youth under detention

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 August 2001, 20:46 GMT]
The Supreme Court Tuesday ordered the State to pay Rupees Twenty five thousand as compensation to a Tamil youth, upholding his fundamental rights application that his arrest and detention by the police was unlawful. The Jaffna Police arrested the petitioner last December, saying they had information that he underwent arms training from the LTTE.

The fundamental rights application filed on behalf of Alagarsamy Dilipkumar of Mannar was taken up for inquiry before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Mark Fernando, S.W.D.Wadugodapitya and Ameer Ismail.

The petitioner -suspect now under detention at Kalutara prison in his fundamental rights application said that he was asked to report to the Jaffna Police in December, last year. When he went to the Police he was arrested and later detained.

The Supreme Court accepted the medical report, which stated that the petitioner was subjected to severe torture after the arrest.

The Supreme Court directed the State Counsel who appeared for the prosecution to inform court at the next date of inquiry whether the petitioner-suspect is to be charged in courts or not.