Court of Appeal grants interim order preventing arrest of SDIG Deshabandu Tennekoon

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Court of Appeal has granted an interim order with regard to an appeal by Senior DIG (Western Province) DeshabanduTennekoon, preventing his arrest with regard to the violent events of May 9 and July 9, 2023, until the final determination of the appeal. 

The interim order also prevents the IGP and the CID from naming SDIG Tennekoon as a suspect and also prevents the execution of certain instructions by the IGP and the CID with respect to the investigation.

The appeal is with respect to the assault of protesters on May 9 by persons who had assembled at Temple Trees, and the storming of the President’s House and Presidential Secretariat on July 9, both matters which are being inquired into in the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.

The appeal is to be taken up next by the Court of Appeal on 9th of May 2023.

Romesh de Silva, PC, and attorneys-at-law Sugath Caldera, Niran Anketel and Sanath Wijewardane appeared for the petitioner.

The respondents cited were the Attorney General, IGP, DIG (CID) and OIC of the Special Investigations Unit 3 of the CID.