Case against Rajitha's son: Court focus on Probation Officer's conduct

Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya issued an order on the Western Province Probation and Child Care Commissioner to inquire on the alleged bias behaviour of the probation officer investigating the case involving Dinitha Aloka Ranasinghe who was allegedly abducted by Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne‘s son.

The Magistrate made this order considering submissions made by Senior Counsel K.V.Thavarasha who complained to the Magistrate that the probation officer criticized the counsel at the court premises which had affected Minister Rajitha Senaratne's family.

Senior Counsel Saliya Pieris appearing for the corpus Dinitha Aloka Ranasinghe filed an affidavit sworn by the corpus in court over the bias behaviour of the probation officer.

The Counsel for the petitioners and the respondent’s blamed each others' clients for the hostile behaviour of the parties against each other and they requested the Magistrate to charge their opponents for contempt of court.

In the meantime Counsel Thavarasha objected the appearance of Mr. Gamini Perera on behalf of the parents as he had prepared an agreement in respect of the matter on behalf of the parents. Mr. Thavarsha said Mr. Perera had become a witness in the case and he could not appear for the parents.

Mr. Perera contended that he had given advice to his client for several years on this matter and the purported agreement was a document he had drafted for his client.

The Magistrate told the parties that he would not make any order on that issue and said he would order the Probation and Child Care Commissioner of Western Province to inquire the allegation against the Probation Officer and to act appropriately.

The Parents of Dinithi were not present in court yesterday. Their Counsel informed the Magistrate that they had fallen ill.

Dinitha Aloka ‘s parents Arambage Gamini Ranasinghe and Gamini Indira Rodrigo of Lionel Edirisinghe Mawatha Colombo 5 filed the habeas corpus application in court to find whether keeping in custody the corpus was legal or illegal.

The parents cited the respondents Eksath Senartne,Chatura Senartne Dr. Sujatha Senartne, Dr Rajitha Senaratne Sarupa Manatunge Osala Herath, Samantha Kumara, Cinnamon Garden’s Police OIC K.A .A. Gamage, The Chairman.and the OIC of National Child and Women’s Bureau and the IGP for the habeas corpus application as respondents.(TFT)