Photograph: Virakesari
A 50-year-old Tamil father of four has died while in Sri Lankan police custody in Batticaloa district, with relatives alleging that he was assaulted by police officers prior to his death.
The deceased was identified as Suppaiya Vasanthakumar, a resident of the Karadiyanaru area in Batticaloa.
According to local media reports, Vasanthakumar was taken into custody by the occupying police force in Karadiyanaru on Friday night (May 22). Reports differ on the circumstances surrounding his arrest. While some outlets stated that police intervened following a complaint lodged by his wife regarding a domestic dispute allegedly linked to alcohol consumption, Virakesari reported that he was arrested after officers allegedly found him in possession of approximately 500 millilitres of kasippu, an illicit alcoholic beverage.
It is reported that Vasanthakumar became unwell while being in custody during the early hours of Saturday morning (May 23). He died while being transported to hospital.
Relatives of the deceased have rejected the police account and alleged that Vasanthakumar sustained fatal injuries after being assaulted by police officers while in custody.
A senior police officer told Hiru News network that investigations into the incident are ongoing and that the inquiry is being handled by an officer from another police division.