The police have issued a media statement on the video clip of a police officer assaulting a man, which was widely circulated on social media.
The incident has taken place in the area of Kegalle on Thursday (December 23).
According to the police, the man who was being attacked is a drug addict. Preliminary probes carried out after his arrest revealed that he had assaulted a woman with an iron rod on the same day.
The police said the suspect had been previously remanded on several occasions and that there is an ongoing legal matter against the suspect for beating an inmate to death while in prison.
The injured woman is currently receiving treatment at the Kegalle Hospital.
Reportedly, the police officer had attacked the suspect in an attempt to arrest him.
In its statement, the police noted that a cop is not allowed to exert excessive force when arresting a suspect.
Accordingly, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has directed the DIG of Sabaragamuwa to initiate an inquiry against the police officer in question.
