The Supreme Court has ruled that the fundamental rights of Public Security Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Deputy Inspector General Shani Abeysekara were violated when investigations were initiated against them during the previous presidential election period.
The ruling concerns investigations launched following a complaint lodged with the CID by retired Deputy Inspector General Palitha Siriwardena in connection with the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
The Supreme Court determined that Siriwardena’s complaint was malicious and politically motivated, and held that using the complaint as the basis for investigations infringed upon the fundamental rights of Seneviratne and Abeysekara.
As compensation, the court ordered retired DIG Palitha Siriwardena to pay Rs. 50,000 each to Seneviratne and Abeysekara.
Former CID Chief Inspector Induka de Silva, who conducted the investigation, was also ordered to pay Rs. 10,000 each to the two petitioners.
The ruling was delivered by Supreme Court Justice Gihan Kulatunga, with Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Achala Wengappuli concurring.
The judgment followed the conclusion of proceedings on a Fundamental Rights petition jointly filed by Seneviratne and Abeysekara during the previous presidential election period. The petition had sought an order preventing their alleged unlawful arrest in connection with investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks.
The Supreme Court's ruling establishes that the initiation of the investigations, based on the complaint in question, amounted to a violation of the petitioners' fundamental rights.
