Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development and General Secretary of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC), Jeevan Thondaman, along with three senior members of his party, surrendered to the Nuwara-Eliya Magistrate’s Court today (29) following a motion filed earlier.
The move came in response to a court order for the minister’s arrest in connection with an incident where the CWC General Secretary allegedly led a group into the Pedro Tea Factory, managed by Kelani Valley Plantations PLC, on May 30, 2024.
During a hearing on July 22, the Nuwara-Eliya Police informed the court that they had not yet completed their investigation and sought advice from the Attorney General. The plantation company’s attorney, however, submitted the suspects’ names to the court, criticizing the police’s inaction and requesting warrants for their arrest.
Consequently, the Nuwara-Eliya Magistrate’s Court instructed the police to apprehend Minister Thondaman and present him before the court. Today, Minister Jeevan Thondaman, along with CWC National Convenor S. Satyavel, former Nuwara-Eliya Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Yoganathan, and senior CWC member Logadas, surrendered to the court.
Upon their appearance, the Nuwara-Eliya Magistrate refrained from issuing arrest warrants, citing the police’s failure to formally name the suspects in court. The case was adjourned until August 26, with the magistrate directing the Nuwara-Eliya Senior Superintendent of Police or an Assistant Superintendent of Police to provide a detailed report to the court on the matter.
