Harak Kata seeks Supreme Court’s intervention to safeguard personal safety

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda

Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne alias Harak Kata yesterday filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court seeking an order directing the police to take all necessary measures to safeguard his personal safety whilst in detention.

The petitioner is further seeking an order directing him to be produced before Courts in any case where he has been named as an accused or a Suspect.

Eight suspects including the alleged drug kingpin Nadun Chinthaka alias “Harak Kata” and his accomplice identified as Salindu Malshika Gunaratne alias “Kudu Salindu” were arrested in Madagascar for alleged drug trafficking charges.

The Petitioner states, that in most of the instances where suspects in police custody have been killed, the police have taken positions such as, the suspect tried to escape from custody whilst pointing out a hidden weapon or narcotics or tried escaping from custody and he was shot or that the Suspect attempted to grab the firearm of the police officer. 

The Petitioner stated that he fears that he would be extra-judicially killed whilst in custody by police. 

The father of Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne had also filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal seeking an order directing the authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the detainee in accordance with the law. This petition had been filed through Attorneys-At-Law, Namal Karunaratne and Udara Muhandiramge of Premier Legal Consultants.