Court orders State TV probe

By Susitha R. Fernando

The Supreme Court today ordered an inquiry into the alleged political victimization and interdiction of eight media personnel of state run Rupavahini by its chairman and others.

The court appointed a former Judicial Officer to conduct the inquiry and directed to file the outcome within two weeks. 

Filing the application, Kanchana Marasinghe and seven other media personnel attached to Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) claimed they were abused and arbitrary interdicted following the Presidential election. They complained this was done by the SLRC Chairman for demanding to adhere to Election Commissioner’s guidelines with regard to telecasting of election related programmes prior to last Presidential Election.

Eight media personnel complained following the Presidential Election, SLRC Chairman Ariyaratne Athugala allegedly abused them in a filthy language claiming that the President and he would not care about the Supreme Court orders and there he had compared five member Supreme Court bench which had directed Rupavahini to follow Election Commissioner’s guidelines to stupid people with mental aberration.