Shantha Bandara has filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission seeking substantial compensation, claiming the allegations against his son in a Rs. 20 million robbery case are fabricated and politically motivated.
Former State Minister Shantha Bandara has approached the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) seeking Rs. 500 million in compensation, alleging that accusations surrounding his son's involvement in a robbery case have caused severe reputational damage to his family and political party. Bandara characterized the case as sensationalized and compared the handling of the matter to a movie narrative.
The complaint centers on an incident in which Bandara's son, Anuda Bandara, was arrested along with five others on July 21 and remanded in connection with an alleged Rs. 20 million cash robbery from a Chinese national in Colpetty. According to Bandara, the police investigation has been marked by significant inconsistencies, with officers providing conflicting accounts of his son's location relative to the crime scene. He stated that authorities initially claimed his son was within 500 metres of the robbery location, subsequently shifted the account to Narahenpita, and later changed it again to Rajagiriya.
Bandara asserted that judicial scrutiny of the matter has been conducted independently and that police failed to substantiate their claims when questioned by his legal representatives. He contended that political adversaries deliberately targeted his minor son as a strategy to attack him personally, describing the situation as character assassination. Bandara indicated he would provide detailed explanations regarding his belief that his family was selectively targeted in this matter.
