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Fasting monks forcibly removed

monksDailyMirror

A Colombo Court yesterday ordered the Fort police to investigate how an unidentified gang alleged to be policemen in civvies had allegedly taken away the monks who were on a fast unto death opposite the Fort Railway station to urge the government to release retired General Sarath Fonseka from detention.

Fort police told Court the monks were removed by a group of policemen in civvies and this led to Colombo Additional Magistrate Giyan Ranawaka directing Fort police Inspector Mapalagama, Crimes Inspector Thilogama and Inspector W. M. Chandratilake to investigate the incident in which policemen in civvies had forcibly taken away the protesters and to submit a report in Court today.

The Magistrate also ordered that the names of the policemen who were in civvies and the police stations they were attached to also to be included in the report.
The Fort police told Court the protesting monks were unlawfully blocking and obstructing the path of the pedestrians.

Counsel Gunaratna Wanninayaka appearing on behalf of the protesters said the monks had been removed by an unidentified gang accompanied by the police. He said the group had forcibly carried the Buddhist monks and the protestors and loaded them into a bus and took them away. “One of the monks who tried to get off the bus was slapped and dragged back into the bus”, he said.

Counsel Wanninayake said on information that the monks were taken to the Slave Island Police station, counsel Sunil Watagala had gone there but police had refused him entry.

“The law permits an attorney to visit his client at any time and preventing such a visit is against the rules of the Supreme Court,” Mr. Wanninayake said.

He said the conduct of Slave Island police amounts to contempt of court and said a petition would be filed in the Supreme Court.  Fasting monks forcibly removed

Journalists covering the scene were also harassed by the police. A photo journalist who was also subjected to harassment said he was grabbed by his shirt by policemen who used abusive language.

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Pic By Nisal Badhuge – The police looking on while a man is seen grabbing a monk who is on a death fast demanding that retired General Sarath Fonseka be released from detention.

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