Police seek info on occupants in some areas in Colombo

Forms seeking information about the occupants of households have been distributed in some areas of Colombo on the instructions of Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Gamini Maturata.

The forms are being circulated with the objective of updating records stored in the computers of the Community Policing Division, DIG Maturata, who is in charge of Colombo, said. He also claimed that such information was collected from time-to-time, sometimes annually.

“This is a positive step that we are taking, in order to determine whether outsiders, such as mem- bers of the underworld, have moved into residences in Colombo to commit crime,” he explained.

DIG Maturata said the survey is being conducted on his own initiative because he felt the information needed updating. The distribution of these forms without prior announcement has, however, caused concern among the populace.

There is speculation on social media sites like Facebook that the police are collating information about Muslim households in Colombo, particularly as the forms were handed out a few weeks after communal attacks in the South. Others commented that such record-taking was common in the past, while the war with the LTTE was still being fought, but suspended thereafter.

“Is it the start of a total police state and beginning of the end of democracy?” asked one Sri Lankan on Facebook. “Householders list is generally sent by the Elections Department through the Grama Niladhari to update the electoral list.”

The two-page document is not marked with an official emblem but is titled “House Holder’s List [sic]-Declaration under Police Ordinance-Section 76”. It seeks the full name, identity card number, address and police area of the chief occupant; and the names, ages, identity card numbers and relationship to chief occupant of family members.

It also requires the names, ages, identity card numbers and addresses of other residents (including domestic assistants) as well as the purpose of their stay with the chief occupant, their relationship to the chief occupant and their intended period of stay with the chief occupant.

Section 76 of the Police Ordinance obligates a householder to furnish the police of his division with a list of inmates of his house when required to do so by an officer on the order of a Magistrate or the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

He is also required to distinguish members of his family from the servants or other residents and, if directed on the order of a Magistrate or IGP, report any increase or diminution or change in his household.

The law also states that he shall not, having received such notice under such order, harbour a stranger without notifying the principal officer of police of his division. Violations result in the imposition of a Rs. 50 fine. Under the Police Ordinance, the IGP shall also be deemed to include a DIG.

It was not clear which areas of Colombo are being targeted for these surveys but residents of Kirulapone, Bambalapitiya, Polhengoda and Maradana reported receiving forms. SSP Ajith Rohana, Police Spokesman, was not able to say whether the inquiries would spread to other parts of the country.

“It depends on the crime pattern in the area,” he said. “If we receive information that some unauthorised people are staying in a certain area or that visitors come to that area a lot, we update our records. It could happen once in two weeks, once or month, after two years…it depends on the information we have about visitors.”

“It is a legitimate right of the police,” SSP Rohana added. “It’s in the law.” He also dismissed concerns that the authorities were attempting to identify Muslim or any other households saying the police already knew such details.