In yet another incident of alleged Sri Lankan police misconduct, two officers from the occupying Palaly Police Station have been accused of threatening a Tamil woman by visiting her home and coercing her over intimate photographs with her boyfriend. The officers reportedly demanded a ransom of 1.2 million rupees (12 lakhs), threatening to release the private images if their demands were not met.
The officers allegedly obtained the private photos and videos of the woman, a resident of Chunnakam, and used them to intimidate her. Pretending to be members of a Police Special Unit from Colombo, they visited her home, identified her using the photos, and gained access to her contact information.
Subsequently, the officers repeatedly called the woman, issuing threats of legal action and demanding that she pay the ransom and meet them at a location of their choosing. Fearing for her safety, the woman lodged a complaint at the Sri Lankan police station in Chunnakam, prompting an investigation into the matter. I
n this case, the two accused police officers have been arrested and are awaiting court proceedings. However, activists and residents remain sceptical, citing a pattern within the Sri Lankan police system where disciplinary inquiries often result in lenient punishments, such as demotions or transfers to other regions, allowing the accused to continue serving without significant consequences.
This case is the latest in a long string of accusations against Sri Lankan police, who have frequently been accused of abusing their power—particularly against Tamils in the North-East. The case highlights ongoing concerns about the misuse of authority and the lack of accountability within Sri Lanka's law enforcement apparatus.
Many of the police officers stationed in the North-East are Sinhalese men, often transferred in from other parts of the country. There is a long and brutal history of human rights abuses including rape, torture, enforced disappearances and murder carried out by the Sri Lankan security forces.