SC fixes inquiry into FR petition by Tamil journalist

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 February 2007, 17:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court by a majority decision, Wednesday, granted leave to proceed with the Fundamental Rights petition filed by a Tamil journalist Mounasamy Parameswary against the State for violating her fundamental rights by detaining her "illegally without any charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)." She is being held in detention since her arrest.

When this FR petition came up for inquiry before a three-member panel of the Supreme Court Wednesday, Justices Shiranee Bandaranaike and Raja Fernando decided to grant leave for the petitioner to proceed with her FR case against the State. Justice Andrew Somawanse decided against. However, according to the majority decision of the SC, the inquiry into the FR petition has been fixed for inquiry on March 8, legal sources said.

The petitioner has cited the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Attorney general (AG) and relevant police officials who arrested her as respondents in the petition.

Justice Shiranee Bandaranaike is the head of the SC panel.

Mounasamy Parameswary was arrested in Wellawatte last year and was detained for 60 days without any charges framed against her. Relatives and journalists were not allowed to visit her in remand during the first sixty-days period.

The Colombo magistrate's court extended the detention order for another ninety days when she was produced in court at the end of 60 days last month on an application made by the police.

Parameswary thereafter filed a FR petition challenging her arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). She said in her petition that the investigation so far conducted by the police has failed to implicate her in any unlawful activities and she is being detained without any charges.

Parameswary has been working for a Sinhala weekly 'Mawbima'.