A complaint has been filed at the Police Headquarters against OIC of the Fort Police Station, Chief Inspector Sagara Liyanage for attempting to take a journalist’s mobile phone by force. The incident had allegedly taken place yesterday when Journalist and President of the Young Journalists Association of Sri Lanka Tharindu Jayawardhana along with Attorney-at-Law Tharindu Ratnayake visited the Fort Police Station to lodge a complaint against ASP Nalinda Dilruk and SSP Roshan Dias for obstructing a peaceful protest march at the Galle Face Green on Monday by Lawyers and Professionals.  

According to Jayawardhana, the OIC had refused to accept the complaint claiming he was unable to do so as the complaint was against the Fort Police and requested the duo to lodge the complaint at the Police Headquarters instead. However, the complainants had explained to the OIC the complaint was not against the Fort Police but was only against ASP Nalinda Dilruk and SSP Roshan Dias. “We told him we had lodged similar complaints with the Fort Police previously,” Jayawardhana said. 

Jayawardhana alleges that however when attempting to leave after the OIC’s refusal to accept the complaint, CI Liyanage blocked him and Attorney-at-Law Tharindu Ratnayake from leaving and instead locked them inside his office. The OIC had then accused the journalist of recording the conversation and attempted to grab his mobile by force. According to Jayawardhana after a brief tussle, the OIC had only let go of the phone after Jayawardhana had assured him that he had not recorded the conversation. 

The Journalist later filed a complaint at the Police Headquarters against OIC Sagara Liyanage regarding the incident as well as ASP Nalinda Dilruk and SSP Roshan Dias for obstructing Monday’s protest even after the organisers had informed the Police six hours prior to the event taking place as stipulated.