SC fixes inquiry into Sunday Leader journalist FR petition

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 December 2007, 10:09 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Supreme Court Thursday granted leave to Tamil journalist Arthur Wamanan to proceed with his fundamental rights violation petition filed last week against his arrest and illegal detention by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sri Lanka Police on a verbal complaint by a minister in the government led by SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Arthur Wamanan is a journalist working in the Sunday Leader, English Weekly.

The petitioner has cited several respondents including the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Director of the CID, SL Minister Mano Wijeratne and the Attorney General. The petitioner has sought the court to declare that his arrest and detention is illegal and has violated his fundamental rights. The petitioner has also sought the court to order 100 million rupees as compensation, legal sources said.

When the FR petition was taken up for inquiry Thursday, State Counsel representing the Attorney General objected to grant leave for the petitioner to proceed with his petition. The Court rejected the objection by the State and fixed the inquiry into the petition for February 29, next year.

President Counsel Romesh de Silva with attorney-at-law G.G.Arulpiragasam appeared for the petitioner.

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