The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court following the harrowing suicide of 23-year-old Charith Dilshan Dayananda, a second-year student at the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University, who was reportedly subjected to brutal ragging.

The petition (SC/FR/101/2025), submitted by BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya and Secretary Chathura Galhena, accuses senior students of perpetrating sustained abuse, culminating in a degrading episode on 26 April 2025, after which Charith took his own life.

The BASL alleges that the university administration, the University Grants Commission, the Police, and other responsible parties failed to enforce anti-ragging laws and protect Charith, ultimately allowing a toxic culture of violence and impunity to persist.

“This tragedy is not an isolated event, but the result of systemic institutional failure,” the petition states, arguing that Charith’s fundamental rights under Articles 11 and 12(1) of the Constitution—freedom from torture and equal protection of the law—were violated.

The petition seeks urgent intervention from the Supreme Court to:

• Hold responsible officials and institutions accountable,
• Enforce anti-ragging laws and university regulations without delay,
• Implement binding guidelines to ensure student safety,
• And reaffirm every student’s right to a dignified and secure education.

(If you need mental health assistance dial 1926 – hotline of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Angoda)