Court orders CID probe into police killing of Tamil teenager in Jaffna

A Sri Lankan court has ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo to take over the investigation into the shooting death of a 17-year-old Tamil boy by police in Jaffna, after lawyers representing the family raised serious concerns about the integrity of the police inquiry.

The criminal case concerning the killing of 17-year-old Arulpius was taken up today before the Kayts Magistrate’s Court last week.

More than fifteen police officers, including a Senior Superintendent of Police, appeared in court on behalf of the Sri Lankan police. Representing the victim’s family were six lawyers, including Attorneys-at-Law Kumaravadivel Guruparan, Arul Niros and Shalini.

The case stems from a fatal shooting that took place last month in the Allaipiddy area of Jaffna, where Arulpius was shot dead by officers attached to the occupying Kayts Police Station.

Sri Lankan police opened fire on a vehicle after alleging that it had failed to stop when ordered. The shooting resulted in the death of the teenage driver, sparking protests and widespread calls for accountability.

During the hearing, lawyers for the family argued that they have no confidence in the investigation being conducted by the police.

They pointed out that the bullet which caused the death has still not been recovered. They further argued that if the bullet had passed through the front windshield of the vehicle involved in the incident, there should have been visible evidence of the bullet penetrating the glass. However, they stated that no such evidence has been identified.

Lawyers also raised questions about the manner in which the vehicle had been parked following the incident, stating that the circumstances created serious doubts about the credibility of the police investigation.

Attorney Arul Niros therefore requested that the investigation be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department in Colombo.

Attorney Kumaravadivel Guruparan, in his submissions, argued that the police had already formed a conclusion about the incident.

He stated that the B-reports filed earlier in the case indicated that the shooting had been carried out in self-defence.

He argued that once such a conclusion has already been reached, it becomes difficult to believe that the same party can conduct an impartial investigation while subsequently seeking evidence to support that conclusion.

Guruparan further noted that allowing a party with a direct interest in the outcome of the investigation to conduct the inquiry itself creates a serious conflict of interest.

He also highlighted that according to a report dated 10 February 2026 by the officer in charge of the District Crime Prevention Division, the bullets used in the shooting had been identified as coming from firearms issued to Police Constables Salman and Marasinghe.

Despite this finding, the two officers have neither been arrested nor even named as suspects in the case.

Guruparan argued that this raised significant concerns about the investigation and requested that both officers be formally named as suspects and arrested.

During their submissions, police rejected the arguments made by the lawyers and maintained that the investigation was being conducted properly. They told the court that relevant forensic materials had already been sent for examination.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Magistrate Nalini Subaskaran noted that the submissions made by the lawyers representing the victim’s family indicated serious dissatisfaction with the current investigation.

She emphasised that the responsibility of the court was not only to ensure justice but also to ensure that the public has confidence that a fair process is being followed.

Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered the Inspector General of Police to transfer the investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department in Colombo.

The case has been adjourned until 22 April for further hearing.

The killing of Arulpius has drawn widespread condemnation in the Tamil homeland, with protesters and human rights advocates demanding accountability for the shooting. Demonstrations have been held in Jaffna calling for the arrest of those responsible and an independent investigation into the incident.

The case has also renewed scrutiny the excessive force by the occupying Sri Lankan security forces in the North-East, where they continue to operate with impunity years after the end of the armed conflict.