Three police officers, including the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Giranegama Police Station in Anuradhapura, have been arrested on charges of allegedly permitting a group of detainees to conduct gambling activities within the station’s cell block. 

The arrests followed an investigation into alleged misconduct at the police station, with the officers now facing charges for enabling and facilitating illegal activities within the detention area. 

According to earlier reports, the detainees were initially arrested on suspicion of animal abuse after allegedly beating donkeys in the area. Upon being brought to the station, the officers allegedly accepted money from the detainees and allowed them to gamble within the cell. 

A video and photos of the incident, reportedly filmed by another detainee, later surfaced. Since the video’s release, the individual who recorded it has reportedly gone into hiding, alleging that he has been threatened with arrest on fabricated drug charges in retaliation for exposing the incident.