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More
arrests in Niranjan murder case An Official
of the CID said they were questioning a resident of Kollupitiya
allegedly involved in the murder of 27-year-old millionaire businessman,
who was killed over a land dispute. According to
investigations, Niranjan had sold 100 acres of land belonging to
a tea estate to the accused. The accused who had wanted to resell
the land was prevented from doing so on a Court order obtained by
Niranjan. The victim
had complained to the police of receiving threatening calls regularly. Niranjan, a
father of two children aged 4 years and 2 years, was shot around
10.30 PM just outside a hotel in Kollupitiya on Wednesday (31st).
Three bullets were found in his head while one was found in the
car. He was a regular visitor to this hotel whenever in Colombo. CID officials
said that they had arrested the accused on previous occasions for
taming items to the North, without proper permission. They also
said that they believe that this was a contract killing and are
conducting further investigation. The accused was produced before the Colombo Magistrate and has been remanded till August 14. DIG
Punya de Silva asked to pay Rs. 60,000 Captain Banda
who was the Officer-in-Charge of the Bindunuwewa Rehabilitation
Camp where a number of Tamil inmates were massacred had filed a
fundamental rights petition, citing CID Director Keerthi Gajanayake,
Inspector Linton, SP Nandana Munasinghe, DIG Punya de Silva all
of CID and IGP as well as the Attorney General as respondents. Bench comprising
Justices Mark Fernando, D.P.S.Gunasekera and C.V.Wigneswaran awarded
Rs 120,000 as compensation for the infringement of his fundamental
rights to freedom from arbitrary detention guaranteed under Article
13(2) of which one half shall be paid by DIG Punya de Silva of the
CID personally and Rs 30,000 as compensation for the infringement
of his fundamental right to freedom from arbitrary arrest which
shall be paid by CID Director Keerthi Gajanayake, CID Inspector
Linton and SP Nandana Munasinghe of the CID personally in equal
shares. Court also awarded Rs 20,000 as costs payable by the State. These payment
shall be made on or before September. The registrar was directed
to forward copies of the judgement and the pleadings and documents
produced in this case to the Public Services Commission(PSC) to
enable the PSC to consider disciplinary action against those responsible
for the arrest and detention of Captain Banda. Court observed
that the CID had failed to follow the procedure prescribed by the
Emergency Regulations by failing to hand over Captain Banda to the
Bandarawela Police. Court also
observed that Captain Banda was made a convenient scapegoat and
kept out of circulation until public attention was directed elsewhere. In a sequence
to the incident of a gruesome massacre of nearly 24 inmates in the
said camp on October 25 of 2000, the CID next day informed Captain
Banda that they wished to question him along with Lt. Abeyratne
and they were brought to the 4th floor of the CID headquarters,
Colombo. On October
29, he was informed by IP Kumarasinghe that he had been detained
under a detention order. Captain Banda said that there was no evidence
of a reasonable suspicion against him at the time of his arrest. Chula Bandara appeared for the petitioner. Senior State Counsel Shavindra Fernando appeared for the respondents ………
and another Rs. 50,000 The Bench comprising
Justices Mark Fernando, D.P.S. Gunasekera and Hector S. Yapa awarded
compensation where Rs. 50,000 to be payable by the State while Rs.
50,000 each to be payable by DIG Punya de Silva and SSP Bandula
Wickremasinghe of the CID personally. Petitioner
Saranapala was taken into custody on August 13, 1998 in connection
with the Majestic Mudalali murder case at 1.45 p.m. at Rahumaniya
Hotel, Town Hall while having his lunch. In his petition, Saranapala
inter alia stated that after his arrest by the CID, he was taken
to the Bandaragama Police Station. Thereafter he was brought to
his house. Police personnel kept a grenade in the garden of his
house, accused him of hiding a grenade and assaulted him. He alleged
that he was illegally arrested because of his connection with the
then opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Anura Bastian. He said the
police gave no reason for his arrest and neither was the receipt
for this arrest given to his wife. He said he was taken to the CID
and detained for three months. He filed a petition in the Court
of Appeal in February 1999, against his arbitrary arrest and detention.
Court of Appeal granted him an interim order for his bail. He cited Sub-Inspector Rodrigo, Police Constable Jayasinghe, SSP Bandula Wickremasinghe, DIG Punya de Silva, all of the CID and the IGP as respondents. The court ordered the Public Services Commission to conduct a disciplinary inquiry against these police officers. Upul Jayasuriya with Iyanthi Abeywickrama instructed by Chula de Karunatillake appeared for the petitioner. State Counsel Riyaz Hamza appeared for the respondents. |
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