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In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has determined that the former Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Hasalaka Police Station violated the fundamental rights of a woman who was wrongfully arrested for wearing attire bearing a ship’s wheel symbol. The symbol had been mistakenly identified as the Dhammachakra, a Buddhist religious symbol.
The court ordered the former OIC to personally pay Rs. 30,000 in compensation to the petitioner, Abdul Raheem Masaheena, a 47-year-old resident of Kolongoda. Masaheena had been remanded at Badulla Prison between May 18 and June 3, 2019, following the arrest.
In her petition, Masaheena claimed that the clothing she wore simply displayed a ship’s wheel, not the Dhammachakra, and that she never intended to insult or offend any religion. She requested the court to direct the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police to investigate and take disciplinary action against those responsible for violating her rights.
Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Kumudini Wickremasinghe, and Shiran Goonaratne unanimously allowed the fundamental rights application, affirming that the arrest and detention were unjustified and violated constitutional protections.
