April 8, 2026
BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka — A fisherman in eastern Sri Lanka has filed a formal complaint with the Human Rights Commission, accusing Navy intelligence personnel of subjecting him to prolonged physical abuse and public humiliation following his arrest over the alleged use of a banned fishing net, according to documents submitted to the commission on Wednesday.
The fisherman, identified as Nandheesan, said he was detained on April 5 while fishing off Chettipalayam beach in Batticaloa by a team of five intelligence officers affiliated with the Kallady naval camp who were dressed in civilian clothing. The officers, he said, found him in possession of lead weights used for a “surukku” net — a type of net banned under Sri Lankan fisheries regulations.
Nandheesan said he acknowledged having the net and surrendered it at the scene without resistance. What followed, he alleged, was a prolonged episode of abuse: he was forced to remain kneeling on the ground for nearly two hours and was beaten by the officers during that time. He also said he was denied access to medication, despite informing the officers that he has diabetes.
The incident took a further turn when his wife arrived at the scene and attempted to document the alleged abuse using her mobile phone. According to the complaint, the officers confiscated her device, deleted the footage, subjected her to verbal abuse, and threatened her with arrest.
Nandheesan was subsequently taken to the Kaluthavalai naval camp before being handed over to officials from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Batticaloa.
In his complaint, Nandheesan described lasting physical and psychological effects from the episode. He said the public character of the alleged punishment compounded the harm: his children and hundreds of local residents witnessed him being made to kneel in the street, an experience he described as a source of profound humiliation. In its aftermath, he said, his children have been reluctant to attend school.
Nandheesan also questioned why he had been singled out for enforcement action, saying that more than a hundred others in the area use similar fishing methods without facing consequences. He has called on the authorities to pursue legal action against the officers he named in the complaint.
The Sri Lanka Navy had not responded to the allegations as of Wednesday evening. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has not yet issued a public statement on the complaint.
The use of the surukku net, which functions by drawing a weighted enclosure tight around a catch, is prohibited under national fisheries law owing to concerns about its impact on fish populations and sea-floor habitats.
Enforcement of the ban has been uneven along the eastern coast, and fishing communities have long complained of selective and at times abusive application of the regulations.
