Court fixes inquiry into FR filed by Sunday Leader journalist

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 September 2009, 08:07 GMT]
The three –member bench of the Supreme Court Friday listed the Fundamental Rights petition filed by journalist Arthur Wamanan Sornalingam of the Sunday leader to be taken up on November 9 for inquiry as the court was told that the two parties concerned were agreeable to a mutually negotiated settlement. The petitioner cited the Police Chief, CID (Special Unit) OIC, its DIG and SSP, Minister Mano Wijeratne and the Attorney General as respondents. The Chief Justice Asoka de Silva, Jagath Balapatebendi and S.I.Imam were the members of the bench.

The Supreme Court had earlier granted leave to proceed with the fundamental rights violation petition filed by Mr. Wamanan for the alleged infringement of his right to equality and equal protection of the law, discrimination on the grounds of race, language and place of birth, the freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention as well as freedom of speech and expression including publication.

In his petition, Mr. Wamanan said that on October 24 last year at about 4:15 p.m. OIC Chandana de Silva and another person came to his premises and requested him to hand over copies of the bills received by him for the use of his mobile telephone but did not give any reasons for doing so.

He had told the CID officers he was using his mother’s mobile phone and handed over copies of the bills.

Later OIC de Silva had requested Mr. Wamanan to accompany him to the CID office saying he had no choice in the matter.

Then he was arbitrarily arrested and detained by the CID on a complaint made by Minister Mano Wijeratne that he had threatened the latter over the phone.

He and his mother were bundled into a car and taken to the CID office and that the police refused to record his statement in Tamil or in English.