A Tamil journalist was assaulted by Sri Lankan police officers in Mannar’s Periyamadu area on 31 May 2024, after he allegedly witnessed and recorded a suspicious transaction involving Sri Lankan police officers and an individual known for producing illicit liquor.
The incident occurred at approximately 3:30 PM as the journalist, identified as Raayukaran, was walking along the Periyamadu–Pallamadu Road near the Meenatchi Amman Temple in Eechchalavakkai. According to eyewitness accounts and the journalist himself, he observed officers from the occupying Adampan police station handing a sum of money to a man named Victor Mavin, reportedly involved in the illegal liquor trade in the region, while seated in a police three-wheeler.
Concerned by what he saw, Raayukaran took out his mobile phone and began recording the scene. Shortly after passing the vehicle, the officers allegedly instructed the liquor dealer to leave the area before pursuing the journalist and blocking his path.
The officers demanded that he hand over his phone, accusing him of filming them “in secret”. When he refused, they forcibly seized the device and deleted the footage without consent or legal justification.
One officer, identified as Jayakkodi, reportedly hurled verbal abuse at the journalist and threatened to “lock him up in prison”, while physically shoving him in the chest. Another officer, named Dasangan and bearing badge number 6597, allegedly struck him during the altercation.
Raayukaran was then threatened and warned to remain silent. He was told it would be “better for him and his body” if he left the scene without raising further complaint.
The officer identified as Dasangan, a Tamil member of the Sri Lankan police force, has previously faced allegations of corruption in the region. Locals have accused him of accepting bribes from illicit networks and interfering in legal proceedings, reportedly manipulating witness statements and assisting suspects in securing bail.
Press freedom groups have long warned that Tamil journalists, in particular, face heightened risks for documenting state corruption, human rights violations, and militarisation in the region.
