Missing Sinhala journalist under unlawful custody, wife files HC application

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 10:17 GMT]
The missing journalist Prageeth Ekniligoa of Lanka E-News since January 24 is being held under unlawful custody or detention with the knowledge of police officers, stated in a Habeas Corpus application filed by his wife Mrs. K.M.S.P.Ekniligoda and his two children S.S.Bandara Ekniligoda and H.D.Sooriya Ekniligoda in the Court of Appeal. The Petitioners have cited DIG Nandana Manasinghe of the CID, OIC of the Homagama Police, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mahinda Balasuriya.

The HC petition was taken up for hearing Tuesday in the Court of Appeal and was re-fixed for support on May 10.

The petition seeks a writ order to be issued to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the DIG of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the OIC of the Homagama Police, who have been named respondents in the petition to produce the journalist in court. Journalist Prageeth Ekniligoda had supported General (retd) Sarath Fonseka at the last presidential election through media.