Ex-Chief of the CID petitions the Supreme Court against imminent arrest

Former Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne has filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court seeking an order preventing the CID from arresting him. He requests the Supreme Court to avert an imminent arrest on the strength of a document before the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court and the allegations mentioned therein. Former CID Chief also seeking an order restraining President Gotabaya Rajapakse from issuing a detention order in terms of section 9(1) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in his capacity as the Minister of Defence in respect of the allegations set out in a B-Report at Kuliyapitiya Magistrate's Court. Ravi Seneviratne said he became aware that on February 10, 2022 , a B report has been filed by Chief Inspector Lalitha Dissanayake alleging that as a result of the serious omissions made by the petitioner and the former Director CID, SSP Shani Abeysekara paved the way for the Easter Sunday Attack. Seneviratne further said the respondents are attempting to falsely implicate him by launching a biased, illegal and unreasonable investigation based on a false and belated anonymous petition alleging that he was derelict in his duties during the investigations of NTJ and Saharan. The petitioner said the respondents are seeking to have him arrested and detained under the PTA or remanded him in mala fide. The petitioner had named ASP Meril Ranjan Lamahewa, Chief Inspector Niroshini Hewapathirana and Chief Inspector Induka Silva and several others as respondents.