Attention has been brought to Inspector General of Police Deshbandu Tennakoon regarding a video featuring a confession by a suspect in the Athurugiriya shooting, where two individuals including 'Club Wasantha' were killed, being released to the media.
The video depicts senior police officers questioning the suspect, who is the owner of the tattoo studio in Athurugiriya where the shooting took place.
Former IGP C.D. Wickramaratne, in a 2022 directive, instructed all senior police officers to refrain from releasing suspects' statements to the media, citing potential adverse effects on legal proceedings. The directive noted complaints received by the Human Rights Commission, emphasizing the risk of violating suspects' rights in such instances.
Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said that the IGP is aware of the incident and that they will investigate to determine whether the officers violated these instructions.
