By Roy Denish
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Authorities are facing growing calls to prosecute employees of a popular supermarket chain after a video circulated widely on social media showing the merciless beating of a man accused of shoplifting chocolates.
The footage captures supermarket staff repeatedly striking the suspect, leaving him unable to stand on his feet.
Despite his clear physical distress, employees could be heard encouraging further violence and continuing the assault him inside the commercial premises.
Legal experts and law enforcement officials stress that street justice and vigilante punishments are entirely impermissible under Sri Lankan law, which explicitly defines the boundaries of private citizen restraint.
Under Section 35 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, members of the public or private security personnel are authorized to detain a suspect caught in the act of a cognizable offense, but Section 28 strictly mandates that a person arrested shall not be subjected to more restraint than is necessary to prevent escape.
Legal professionals point out that the actions of the supermarket staff clearly exceeded lawful containment and crossed into serious criminal misconduct. Consequently, the employees must be charged under the Penal Code of Sri Lanka, specifically Section 314 for voluntarily causing hurt, or Section 316 for causing grievous hurt, which covers aggravated assault and carrying severe prison terms for inflicting serious bodily injury.
Police officials have previously warned retail and establishment managers that staff members have absolutely no legal authority to mete out physical punishments to suspects, reiterating that any apprehended shoplifter must be handed over immediately to the nearest police station without delay or violence.
