SC Finds Rights Violation in Arrest of Wasantha Mudalige

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Supreme Court ruled that the fundamental rights of Wasantha Mudalige, the convenor of the Inter University Students’ Federation, were violated by the Police when he was arrested and detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act during the 2022 protest movement.

The ruling was delivered after considering a petition filed on behalf of Wasantha Mudalige by Attorney-at-Law Manjula Balasuriya.

Supreme Court Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna issued the decision with the concurrence of Justices Arjuna Obeysekera and Priyantha Fernando.

Following a protest held by the Inter University Students’ Federation on August 18, 2022, its convenor Wasantha Mudalige was arrested and detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Challenging that detention, his attorney filed this petition before the Supreme Court.

After a lengthy hearing, the bench of judges, in delivering its ruling, stated that the respondents had failed to present material sufficient to establish reasonable suspicion to justify detaining Wasantha Mudalige under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The respondents named in the petition included former Inspector General of Police C. D. Wickramaratne, former Senior Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon, former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department Kavinda Piyasekara, among others.