Volume : 6

Issue : 83
E Mail : nandmana@sltnet.lk
www.humanrightsofficekandy.org

Anthony Chandra, the Fe-male Political Prisoner at Kandy Bogambara -

Pallekelle Prison was finally released without charges after 08 years of
imprisonment.

Kandy High court Judge acquitted her from all the charges filed against
her on the 11th May 2015. Anthony Chandra was a mother of 03 girls
aged 2 ½, five and nine years respectively when she was arrested.

Anthony Chandra from Ratwatta Lower Division was arrested on the 10th August 2008 and detained for 07 years
under the Prevention of Terrorism Act of Sri Lanka was finally set free on the night of the 11th May 2015. She set
off to her house on the same night to be united with the 03 daughters whom she had to leave 07 years ago. The
youngest daughter was an infant of two ½ half years when Chandra was arrested while at home.

The TID officers of Kandy district arrested Anthony Chandra on the 10th August 2008 and detained her for 93
days at the Terrorist Investigation Division at the Kandy police station. She was severely tortured mentally by
threats to her and the family, if she does not confess, whereabouts of his husband who was suspected of being
involved in Terrorist activities. She was finally produced before the Matale Magistrate Court on the 13th May 2009
and remanded at the Raja Veediya remand prison in Kandy. The reason for her arrest was not told by the TID
officers at the time of her arrest, however later she came to know that her
husband who was suspected of terrorsits activites has fled the country and
therefore in place of him, Chandra was arrested by the TID officers.

The TID officers filed 14 crimanal charges against Chandra. 04 cases in

Theldeniya Magistrate Court, 04 cases in Kandy Magistrate Court , 04 cases, at
the Matale Magistrate Court and 02 cases in Dambulla Magistrate Court.
However she was indicted only for 05 cases in Kandy High Court. According to
Chandra, all cases were fabricated but charges were of very serious in nature
under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
Further the TID officers ransacked the house of Chandra soon after her arrest in 2008, in search of weapons and
her house was partly brought down to the ground. The children were trauimatized by this and her mother was
severely threatned.
Chandra who was separated from her daughters
suffered severe forms of torture during her detention at
the TID branch of the Kandy police station. She was
interrogated almost every night by the TID officers. The
interrogators threatened to rape her and have forcefully
taken her signature for several documents, partly typed
and also to blank papers. She was told by the TID officers
that her 2 ½ years old daughter will be given to her and
she will be released very soon and then she has signed all
the given documents.
During the Women’s Day Celebration in Prison 2015

She suffered with high hypertension due to the truma, while she was in police custody. Chandra was in remand
prison at Raja Veediya along with Anjela Croos ( 26) who died soon after her release without proper medical
treatment while in remand prison.

The 03 daughters of Chandra were taken care by her mother-in-

law for the past 07 years in absence of their parents. The children
suffered the most, denied of their emotional & physical needs.The
staff of the HRO office accompanied her children during her long
period of detention.

After her release Chandra & the children are now being
counselled to heal their truma. Chandra who finally saw the light
of the day is happy being united with her children inspite of With Bishop Vianney Fernando at the
Bishops House, after her release
financial hardships. Her only fears is the possible re-arrested as
many of the suspects from the same village are still detained.

The HRO Lawyer Mr. S. P. Padmadakshan, who appeared for Chandra made an extra ordinary effort to free her of
all fabricated charges.The staff of the HRO were committed to prove the innocence of Chandra and supported her
legally until she was freed of all charges. The Bishop
of Kandy, Bishop Vianney Fernando who met Chandra
soon after her release appreciated her courage and
her patience in search of Justice, being imprisoned for
07 long years when the whole society condemned
her as a terror suspect. The Bishop encouraged her to
begin a new chapter in life with her daughters,
walking towards the dawn with our Redeemer.
Trauma Counseling to Chandra and her daughters