Court of Appeal to rule on Deshabandu Tennakoon's arrest

The Court of Appeal has scheduled March 17, 2025, to deliver its decision on whether to issue an interim order preventing the arrest of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon. This follows a writ petition filed by Tennakoon seeking to stay the arrest warrant issued by the Matara Magistrate in connection with the Weligama hotel shooting incident.

In his petition, Tennakoon argues that the Magistrate's arrest order was issued contrary to legal provisions and without recording a statement from him. However, the Additional Solicitor General contends that Tennakoon was the mastermind behind the operation that led to the shooting, urging the court to dismiss the petition due to suppression of material facts.

The court's forthcoming decision is highly anticipated, as it will determine the immediate legal standing of the arrest warrant against the nation's top police officer.