The Supreme Court has ruled that the police violated the fundamental human rights of Gampaha Superintendent of Police Lakshman Cooray, who was arrested by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) on charges including the murder of former Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle.
The Supreme Court delivered this judgment with the concurrence of Chief Justice Murdu Fernando and Priyantha Fernando.
While detained in the Boossa Prison on the orders of the Defense Secretary, the Superintendent of Police had filed this fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court through Attorney-at-Law Manjula Balasuriya in 2010.
The Supreme Court, hearing the petition and pronouncing its judgment, stated that the respondent police officers had violated the petitioner’s fundamental rights guaranteed by Articles 11 and 13(2) of the Constitution.
The court also ordered the government to pay the petitioner a compensation of Rs. 30,000/-.
In addition, the bench ordered the petitioner to pay Rs. 300,000 each from their personal funds to two officers of the Terrorism Investigation Bureau who are accused of torturing the petitioner and Rs. 200,000 each from their personal funds to two other officers.
The Superintendent of Police had filed this petition before the Supreme Court through his lawyer on 12 August 2009, alleging that his fundamental rights had been violated by his arrest and remand without any justifiable reason by the Anti-Terrorism Bureau.
Accordingly, it was also stated during the hearing that the petitioner, the Superintendent of Police, had been remanded for almost 14 years.
The current Chief Justice, Murdu Fernando, is scheduled to retire from his post today (27).
