Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya Expresses Serious Concern Over Deaths in Police Custody

01-Nov-2026

.

Citing recent deaths in police custody, former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has stressed that the Police must demonstrate their ability to exercise powers responsibly before being vested with extensive powers through the proposed Protecting the State from Terrorism Bill and the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill.

The death of an individual in police custody at the Homagama Police Station has triggered considerable controversy, with various parties expressing their condemnation of the incident.

Against this backdrop, former Speaker and Chairman of the National Movement for Social Justice Karu Jayasuriya, in a post on his official X account, pointed out that a commitment to install CCTV cameras in police station detention cells had first been made as far back as 2016.

However, he noted that the Police had subsequently set a new deadline last year, announcing that CCTV cameras would be installed in all detention cells by the end of 2025.

Nevertheless, with two more deaths in police custody reported within the past seven days, the procurement process for the cameras remains at the cost-estimation stage. He expressed concern that a decade had now passed since the original commitment was made.

Against this background, he further emphasised that the Police must demonstrate their ability to exercise powers responsibly before being granted extensive authority under the proposed Protecting the State from Terrorism Bill and the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill.

He also stressed that public trust must be established before such powers are granted.