The Attorney General today informed the Supreme Court that there are no sufficient materials to arrest former IGP Jayantha Wickramaratne in connection with the murder of former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickremetunge.

 

Additional Solicitor General Ayesha Jinasena informed court that there is no imminent threat of arresting the petitioner Jayantha Wickramaratne in connection with this incident.

 

Accordingly, the petitioner sought Court's permission to withdraw the application following the Attorney General's assurance that he will not be arrested in connection with the murder of Lasantha Wickremetunge. Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Kumuduni Wickremasinghe and Arjuna Obeysekera permitted the petitioner to withdraw the petition.

 

Supreme Court had earlier issued an Interim Order staying the arrest of former IGP Jayantha Wickramaratne in connection with the murder of former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickremetunge.

The Supreme Court had issued this order pursuant to a Fundamental Rights petition filed by Jayantha Wickramaratne.

 

Former IGP Jayantha Wickramaratne had been questioned by the CID in connection with the murder of former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickremetunga. The senior police officers including former IGP Wickramaratne were questioned by the CID over the notebook belonging to Wickrematunge that had gone missing while in police custody.

 

Through this petition, former IGP Wickramaratne sought the intervention of the Supreme Court to exercise the fundamental rights jurisdiction to prevent an imminent arrest of him in the Lasantha Wickremetunga murder case by the Criminal Investigations Department. 

 

President’s Counsel Gamini Marapana with  Navin Marapana PC under the instructions of Upendra Gunasekara appeared for the petitioner. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)