Writ petition against Deshabandu Tennakoon fixed for support

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda   

A writ petition filed by a lawyer seeking an order directing the CID to arrest Western Province Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon for his failure to prevent attacks on peaceful protesters at Galle Face, was yesterday fixed for support by the Court of Appeal.  

Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justices Sobhitha Rajakaruna and Dhammika Ganepola fixed the petition to be taken up for support on December 16.  

Attorney-at-law Ramalingam Ranjan filed this petition naming Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam, Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon, IGP Chandana Wickremaratne, CID Director Kavinda Piyasekera as respondents.  

The petitioner is further seeking an order in the nature of a Writ of Mandamus to compel the Attorney General and police to make Deshabandu Tennakoon a suspect in the case at Colombo Magistrate’s Court relating to the attacks on peaceful protesters at Galle Face.  

The petitioner said that Deshabandu Tennakoon, supposed to stop the unruly marchers who broke out from the Temple Trees, had failed to prevent them from entering ‘MinaGoGama’ and ‘GotaGoGama’ and in contrast aided and abetted the said attacks on the peaceful protesters.  

The Magistrate has observed that Deshabandu Tennakoon was having an intimate conversation with  Parliamentarian Sanath Nishantha who is the 5th suspect at the time the attack took place.  
President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne appeared for the petitioner.