Missing youths’ parents secure Supreme Court green light to appeal

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda

The Supreme Court yesterday granted special leave to appeal in an application filed by the parents of several youths who went missing in 2008, challenging the Court of Appeal’s decision to dismiss their writ petition filed against Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda.
The appeal was fixed for inquiry on January 30 next year.
On November 10, 2021, the Court of Appeal decided to dismiss the writ petition filed by several parents who sought an order quashing the request of the Attorney General to withdraw the indictment filed against Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda.
The petitioners state that five persons including Rajiv Naganathan, Vishwanathan Pradeep, Mohammed Dilan, Mohammed Sajith went missing on or around September 17, 2008.
They state the Court of Appeal has failed to give sufficient weight to the arbitrary violations of the right to life of the petitioners’ sons, who were subjected to an extrajudicial execution, and the State’s duty to duly and adequately investigate the disappearance and execution of their sons in a thorough and effective manner, to bring to justice those responsible for the disappearances.
The Attorney General had filed indictments against former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and 13 others in connection with alleged abduction, torture, extortion and conspiracy to murder 11 persons in 2008 and 2009.