The Supreme Court yesterday (22) decided to dismiss the Fundamental Rights petition filed by Convenor of the Inter University Bhikku Federation (IUBF) Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera requesting to declare
that his fundamental rights has been violated by being arrested and detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. After taking into the submissions made by the petitioner and the respondent, the petition was dismissed according to the unanimous decision of the three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court bench consisted of Justices S.Thurairaja, Mahinda Samayawardena and Priyantha Fernando.
Meanwhile, the bench decided to hear the fundamental rights petition filed against the arrest and detention of university student Hashan Jeewantha Gunathilaka.
This petition was allowed to be heard on the basis that the arrest and detention may violate the fundamental rights guaranteed by the provisions of Article 12(1), 13(1) of the Constitution.
The objections regarding the petition were ordered to be filed within six weeks and the original objections were ordered to be filed within two weeks.
The hearing of the petition was scheduled to begin on October 5. When the petitions were called, President’s Counsels M.A. Sumanthiran and Upul Jayasuriya, who appeared for the petitioners, presented the facts at length.
They argued that the detention of the petitioners under the Prevention of Terrorism Act was illegal. Also, the lawyers pointed out that even though detention orders had been obtained for taking them to one place, they had been taken to different places.
Deputy Solicitor General Shamindra Wickrama, who appeared for the Attorney General, informed the court that there was no other option but to arrest these petitioners under the Prevention of Terrorism Act at that time.
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