Justice Yasantha Kodagoda recuses himself from considering Ex-CID Chief's FR

COLOMBO (News 1st); Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda on Thursday (10) recused himself considering the application filed by Ex-Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, Shani Abeysekera.

Former director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Shani Abeysekera had filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka requesting an interim injunction preventing his arrest or detention again by the CID.

Abeysekera, the Former Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, in his application sought an interim order preventing any attempt to arrest him based on the content of the B report produced to the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court on charges that include the failure to properly investigate Zaharan Hashim, who led the suicide bomb attacks on 21st April 2019.

This application was called up in the presence of Supreme Court Justices S. Thurairajah, Mahinda Samayawardena, and Yasantha Kodagoda.

After Justice Yasantha Kodagoda announced that he would recuse himself from the application, the matter was postponed to the 7th of April 2022.

President's Counsel Saliya Peiris requested the court to consider this application on the 7th of April, as Former Deputy Police Chief Ravindra Seneviratne had also filed a Fundamental Rights application with the Supreme Court seeking an order to prevent his arrest, and that application too will be taken up for consideration on the 7th of April 2022.

After considering the submissions, the Supreme Court decided to consider the applications on the 7th of April.

The Former DIG in his application sought an interim order preventing any attempt to arrest him based on the contents of the B report produced to the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court on charges that include the failure to properly investigate Zaharan Hashim, who led the suicide bomb attacks on 21st April 2019.