Former CID DIG Arrested Over Controversial 2019 Travel Ban on 704 Officers

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), W. Thilakaratne, was arrested by the Police Central Crimes Investigations Bureau.

The arrest was made in connection with an incident in 2019, where he allegedly imposed a foreign travel ban on 704 CID officers at his own discretion, without any court order.

W. Thilakaratne had been appointed to the CID shortly after Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed office as President.

Subsequently, on November 25, 2019, Thilakaratne issued foreign travel bans on 704 CID officers entirely on his own initiative.

After being taken into custody and produced before court, the former DIG was released on a cash bail of Rs. 1 million along with a travel ban imposed against him.