How police treated amma who went to pluck 3 mangos -- True story!

How police treated amma who went to pluck 3 mangos --

True story!

64 year old Mrs. A. Lalitha living in Saliya Pura, Anuradhapura was subjected to unkindly treatment of a lady of a neighbouring house and was trapped in police injustice with the police dedicating themselves to the lady concerned and as a result she was remanded with not even a drop of water offered to her for 24 hours and finally released on a personal bond of 1 lakh for the offence of having gone to pluck 3 mangos from a branch inclined

towards the road.

This phenomenon is not only an issue bordering on human mercy but even speaks out about the tragic situation of the consideration of certain police officers bestowing on people of the 'better class'.

She has described the said instance in her own words in the following manner: "I saw a bunch of mangos of a neighbouring house close to ours, tilting towards road. As there wasn't anything to cook at home, I plucked 3 of those fruits on the morning of last 9th with the idea of preparing an 'amba maaluwa'. In that instance having heard dogs bark, the lady and the master of that house came out with a club in their hands chasing me to hit me. They came running even upto the yard where our house was.

In the morning around 10, 2 police officers came to my house. What they told me was that there is a complaint that I had encroached a property and had robbed 19 mangos. They asked me to come to inquire about this incident. I was surprised to hear it. I didn't pluck so many fruits and it was a false complaint that had been made. How can I who is sick jump into a garden protected by a barbed-wire fence in which premises there are 2 vicious dogs? On hearing that complaint I was shocked.

The following day I went to the police and the complainant lady too was there. I admitted guilt for having plucked 3 mangos. Though I requested the police to bring it to a settlement, the lady refused. What she then told in the presence of the police officers was that she would withdraw the complaint if I were to give a promise that I would cut the Lunumidella tree and Kohomba tree bordering the fence where I reside in a manner that it would in no way harm trees in her house. Later I agreed to it. The police then handed me a piece of paper that I would cut those trees within 2 weeks and asked me to put down my sign. But the lady changed her decision in the end teven to that also. Subsequently the police officers told that I would be produced before courts.

Around 11 in the afternoon I asked the police officers whether I could go home. They said that since the case has been forwarded to courts, it was not possible. Even though I asked permission to give me an opportunity to meet the Officer-in-Charge of Anuradhapura Police, the officers who handled this lady's complaint prevented it. Then I was made to sit on a bench. It was where male prisoners were that I was made to sit. Later, in the night I was put into a cell and locked up. It was only I who was in that cell.

My mouth was parched and I felt that my head was beginning to twirl. To bring some food or to ask for permission to go to the toilet ... there was no one. Having seen a person close to our house I spoke to him and told him that I wanted to go to the toilet and afterwards a woman constable was sent. Early next morning people in our area having come to know about this incident came to the police station. After contacting a lawyer they managed to produce before courts.

It's only I and my husband who live in our house. Husband is the watcher of a certain land. Already one of my eyes is affected. A lens has been inseerted on the other eye. From time to time I get a chest pain".

What the Officer-in-Charge of Anuradhapura Mr. Sanjeewa Mahanama said in this connection was that since the complainant party refused to bring this to a settlement, the suspect was directed to courts in this manner.