He had an indomitable spirit

It is with profound sadness that I record the passing away of my longstanding client and friend, Inspector of

Police, Wadood Mohamed Ajmeer who passed away on January

13 at his native village of Kalmunai. Popularly known as Ajmeer naana among Tamil political prisoners with whom he spent over a decade in the inhospitable environs of the Magazine Prison, Borella, Ajmeer was arrested around 2010 under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) allegedly for aiding and abetting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), while he was serving as Officer in Charge (OIC) of Maligawatta Police Station.

Several charges were levelled against him with three indictments, however, two of those indictments had to be hurriedly withdrawn. In an emblematic case tried by the Special High Court that was set up to hear PTA cases in Colombo, after a gruelling and hard fought Voire Dire inquiry, High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe by his order rejected the confession to be admitted as evidence.

Soon thereafter other cases against Ajmeer were withdrawn.

Ajmeer was a born fighter and as amiable a client as any lawyer would like to have. At the outset when I told him I was not in favour of pleading guilty for a lesser sentence, he supported me to the hilt to challenge the case. His ever-faithful and affectionate brother Rizvi spared no effort in supporting his elder brother’s cause.

Ajmeer got back his Police job after a few months of being pushed from pillar to post. He donned his uniform again with pride being appointed as OIC Moneragala. However his woes had not ended. He was stripped of his post again and charged on disciplinary grounds. Once again Ajmeer came out with flying colours and was on the verge of regaining his position when fate intervened with a fateful massive heart attack.

While we salute the undaunted and indomitable spirit in Ajmeer, we also are mindful of the hardships and tragedies that befell him.

Goodbye gallant warrior. May the turf rest lightly on you.