Batti’s appeal accepted by the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Monday (20) issues notices for the respondents of the fundamental rights petition, filed with regards to the brutal attack on W.A. Kanthilatha on the 6th of September at the Rathnapura main bus stand, to be present at the courts on December 18.
This petition was conveyed in front of the judges, Sisira De Abrew and Sarath De Abrew.
The attorney representing the petitioner stated that the offices of the respondents were mentioned at the time of filing the petition, and since their names were later identified, those names were added to the petition through a motion.
The respondents of this petition are, a sergeant, the OIC and the SSP attached to the Rathnapura Police, the Police spokesman and the Inspector General of Police. The petition states that the petitioner is a sex worker, and a sergeant attached to the Rathnapura Police had demanded sex from her for free, and that when she refused, had demanded a half a bottle of arrack. The petition states that the refusal of both these demands by the petitioner led to the brutal arrack by the sergeant. It also states that she had to be admitted to a hospital as a result of this attack and when she had gone to the police to file a complaint regarding the incident, they refused to accept the complaint.
The petitioner has stated that her fundamental rights had been violated and had requested the court to give her a 50 million rupee compensation.
An attorney expressed his opinion that it is commendable that the court decided to consider charges against the violation of fundamental rights of a citizen who does not even have a national identity card or a birth certificate. He also said that the possibility of giving a massage to the society to the effect that even a women, who is employed in an industry stigmatized by the society and termed illegal, also has her human rights, is in itself a victory.
