Court rejects police request to remand, releases suspect on bail

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 December 2007, 16:22 GMT]
The Colombo Chief Magistrate Mackie Mohamed Thursday refused an application by the Cinnamons Garden Police to remand a Muslim resident of Sammanthurai who was arrested by a mobile squad of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on suspicion that he was a terrorist suspect. The court ordered the release of the suspect on personal bail in a sum of Rs: 50,000/= with two sureties.

The police produced the suspect in court on a report that he was taken into custody close to the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation premises along Buddhaloka Mawatte on Wednesday on suspicion. The police moved that the suspect should be remanded till inquiry was completed.

The defence lawyer objected and submitted to court that the suspect was a resident of Sammanthurai in eastern province and he had been working in a firm in Colombo.

The court said that there was no ground for the court to remand the suspect. The court reminded the police only when there is evidence that can stand scrutiny that there was probable cause for arrest.

The Magistrate fixed the inquiry into the matter for March 7 next year.