October 10, Colombo (LNW): Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has approached Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court in a fresh legal bid to overturn a decision that rejected his attempt to obtain protection against arrest in connection with investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.
The appeal challenges a ruling by the Court of Appeal, which dismissed Rajapaksa’s writ application on October 01 without formally notifying the respondents or proceeding to a full hearing of the matter.
Through the latest legal move, the former President is seeking to have the Supreme Court examine whether the lower court acted lawfully in rejecting his application at the preliminary stage.
The petition names Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director Shani Abeysekara, the Officer-in-Charge of the CID’s Special Investigations Unit and the Attorney General as respondents.
Rajapaksa’s original application sought judicial intervention to prevent his arrest while investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks continued. His latest appeal seeks to challenge the basis on which that request was dismissed and to secure an order restraining the relevant authorities from arresting him in connection with the ongoing inquiry.
The case brings renewed legal attention to the investigations into the coordinated bombings of April 21, 2019, which targeted churches and hotels in Sri Lanka and killed more than 250 people, leaving many others injured.
The attacks remain one of the country’s most significant national security tragedies, with questions surrounding accountability and the handling of intelligence information continuing to attract public and political scrutiny.
The Supreme Court proceedings will now provide an opportunity for the former President to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision through the judicial process. The outcome could determine whether his request for protection against arrest receives further consideration.
No conclusion regarding Rajapaksa’s liability in relation to the attacks should be inferred from the filing of the appeal itself. The legal proceedings concern his challenge to the dismissal of his writ application and his request for relief while the investigations remain ongoing.
