SC rejects Rishad’s FR petition

• He sought an interim order to stay his arrest

By Yoshitha Perera   

The Supreme Court yesterday rejected the fundamental rights (FR) petition filed by former minister Rishad Bathiudeen seeking an interim order to prevent his arrest in connection with the Easter Sunday bomb attacks.  

The petition had named CID Special Investigation Unit OIC Ravindra Wimalasiri, CID Director DIG Nuwan Wedasinghe, Acting IGP and the Attorney General as respondents.   

The petitioner states he has not committed any act which could be considered as an offence under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) or under any law pertaining to such acts.   He states that these unsubstantiated investigations have already been the subject of a media frenzy and was detrimental to the petitioner’s political image.   

Meanwhile, Mr. Bathiudeen had contested the general election on the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) ticket and the 28,203 prefrential votes he had received was the highest in the Vanni District. 

• The petitioner states he has not committed any act which could be  considered as an offence under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) or  under any law pertaining to such acts