“The Police hadn’t seen any assault taking place” - DIG Thalduwa

Daily Mirror contacted Police Media Spokesperson Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Nihal Thalduwa regarding the attack on the peaceful protestors and the allegations against the Colpetty Police.

“I inquired about this [incident] from the Colpetty Police and they said that they received information that there was an argument going on at the Colpetty junction and it is then that they had gone. There had been two parties engaged in an argument, and they [the Police] hadn’t seen any assault taking place. One group had said that they [the protesters] can protest but they cannot use the national flag. They had an argument, then it finished and they dispersed,” DIG Thalduwa said.

He added that after the crowd had dispersed, the Police had received information that there had been an assault. “Thus, they have begun investigations into it”.

When Daily Mirror queried the Spokesperson on the allegation that the Police had left the Liberty Roundabout the moment the masked men approached, he said,“that’s what the protestors say, but the Police haven’t mentioned any such thing to me.”

Daily Mirror also asked DIG Thalduwa about the Colpetty Police not accepting the complaints of Dr. Perera and Dahlan. He stated that there was no such rule that complaints by women are taken by female Police officers only,“i will have to inquire into that” said DIG Thalduwa.

He added that a complaint by the protestors was recorded by the Colpetty Police on the day of the said incident and he was unaware of whether a complaint was not accepted by the Police thereafter.