Government Will Not Shield Officials Who Commit Wrongdoing, Says Deputy Minister Eranga

28-Oct-2026

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Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara stated that investigations were under way into the death of a young man in police custody at a police station. He said the Government would never protect police officers if they were found to have committed any wrongdoing.

He made these remarks on October 27, 2026, in response to questions from journalists concerning the death of the young man in police custody.

Elaborating further, he said investigations were currently under way into the incident at the police station. If such an incident had occurred as reported, it would cause the Government serious shock and concern.

He noted that while there were police officers who performed their duties effectively, it could not be denied that some officers continued to operate according to outdated practices.

However, he stressed that the Government’s position was clear. If any wrongdoing occurred either at the Government’s level or among officials, the Government would not attempt to shield those responsible. Instead, it would continue taking measures to reduce such misconduct.

He added that the police performed many commendable duties, although certain officers were responsible for shortcomings and misconduct. The Government’s objective was to identify such failures, implement corrective measures and prevent similar incidents from recurring.

He also noted that several police officers had been suspended from service in the past and that action had been taken against certain officers who maintained links with drug traffickers.