A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court yesterday ruled that seven officers of the Excise Department’s Excise and Narcotics Unit had violated the fundamental rights of a restaurant owner by torturing him and robbing him of money.
In its judgment delivered on 11 March 2026, the Court found that the petitioner, Dinesh Priyadarshana Dodangoda, who operates the “Cheeky Monkey” restaurant, had been subjected to unlawful treatment by excise officers during a raid at his establishment.
According to the petition, Dodangoda was allegedly assaulted, blindfolded, and later detained by officers before being produced before court on charges related to possessing liquor without a licence.
In a judgment which made serious findings against the conduct of the Excise Officers, the Supreme Court held that:
“I find that the petitioner, who was running a profit-earning business, has been taken into custody and thereafter tortured, which is supported by medical evidence, and then robbed and finally released when he pleaded guilty to the offences he was charged with by the respondents.”
Dodangoda and his employees of the restaurant were arrested on the night of January 2, 2023, and brought to Colombo, where he was tortured mercilessly and a ransom of three million was paid by his relatives to secure his release.
During the torture he was first threatened that he would be indicted in the High Court for drug-related offences, after which his relatives and friends had to pawn their jewellery and raise money from other friends in order to secure his release from the custody of the Excise Officer, the Supreme Court observed.
Accordingly, the petitioner told the Court that his friends and family had to raise an amount of Rs. 3,000,000.
Upon payment being made, the petitioner together with his other employees were produced before the Matara Magistrate’s Court for minute quantities of cocaine.
After examining the evidence, the Supreme Court determined that several officers involved in the operation had violated the petitioner’s fundamental rights, particularly his right to equal protection of the law.
The Court ordered seven excise officers to personally pay compensation of Rs. 75,000 each to the petitioner within three months, a total of Rs. 525,000.
Counsel Hafeel Farisz, together with Iresh Seneviratne, Sanjeewa Kodithuwakku, and Rajith Samarasinghe, instructed by Niluka Dissanayake, appeared for the Petitioner.
ASG Lakmali Karunanayake PC, with Haleema Faiz, appeared for the Respondents. (Newswire)
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