A Catholic priest was admitted to Negombo Base Hospital after an alleged assault by police officers at a police station in Sri Lanka’s Western Province over the weekend.
The incident prompted condemnation from Church groups and legal action from Church authorities.
Father Milan Priyadarshana, an assistant administrator of estates of the Archdiocese of Colombo, was reportedly assaulted by police officers at the Kirindiwita Police Station at around 7 p.m. on Jan. 24.
Reports indicate the incident occurred while the priest was returning on a motorcycle after celebrating Holy Mass at Dippitigoda Church.
According to accounts provided by Church-linked organizations, police officers on motorcycles stopped the priest and assaulted him while he was still wearing his clerical cassock.
He sustained several injuries and was taken for medical treatment at Negombo Base Hospital.
Church media and lay groups reported that six police officers were involved in the incident. The officers were later produced before the Gampaha Magistrate’s Court and remanded.
The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has announced plans to pursue legal action over the incident. Church officials said preparations are underway to file a fundamental rights petition on behalf of the priest, citing alleged misconduct and the circumstances surrounding the assault.
The petition is expected to challenge the actions of the police officers involved and seek accountability under constitutional protections.
Church representatives said the priest remains under medical care in Negombo as the legal process moves forward.
The incident has drawn wider concern among Catholic institutions and writers’ groups, who described the case as raising serious questions about police conduct and accountability.
