The Colombo High Court today (10) recalled an arrest warrant issued against former Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra for failing to appear before courts over her alleged involvement regarding the abduction of a youth in 2015.

The court issued the arrest warrant this morning when she was absent at the time the case was taken up.

Ms Premachandra’s lawyer Abimani Randeniya pleaded that her client had been given the wrong advice that court sessions was commencing at 10.00 am, where as she should have been present at 9.45 a.m. She told court as Ms Premachandra was nursing her one and a half-month-old infant and there was a delay in attending courts.

Earlier State Counsel Wasantha Perera requested the court to issue a warrant to arrest Ms Premachandra as she was not present in courts in time and accordingly High Court judge Amal Ranaraja issued the warrant.

However, after Ms Premachandra’s lawyer pleaded that the warrant be withdrawn the Judge withdrew the warrant after warning her to be present in courts next time.

Ms Premachandra is charged of the abduction of a youth in Dematagoda and aiding and abetting the illegal detention of the youth in December 2015.  She has pleaded not guilty for the offence  while eight others charged for the offence pleaded guilty and were given a suspended sentence.