The Meegalewa Police had arrested four persons in connection with the incident where a toddler sitting on the lap of a man was was made to sip an alcoholic beverage.
Police media Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said they were arrested on the charge of causing harassment to a child, an offence under the revised Penal Code under Act no. 22 of 1995.
The IGP had paid great attention to this incident and the Meegalewa Police had found that the persons responsible for this incident are from that area.
The child was a year and one month old and the incident had taken place in Ganangamuwa in Meegalewa.
The child was produced before the Anuradhapura JMO on Monday. The incident had taken place on July 14.
The suspects are the child’s father, Rohana Sarath Chandra alias Gamini (40) of Ganangamuwa, Meegalewa, Mohommed Sakeer Mohommed Siyam (38), Sumedha Priyaratne (23) and Moragahamula Gedara Chandrasiri (50) all residents of Ganangamuwa, Meegalewa.
The arrested suspects will be produced before the Galgamuwa Magistrate’s Courts today (18).
The Police Media Spokesman said that in 2017, 98 incidents of cruelty to children had been reported, while in 2018 within the first five months, 48 complaints of cruelty to children had been reported.