The Court of Appeal dismissed the writ application filed by MP Rishad Bathiudeen’s brother, Riyaj Bathiudeen, seeking the prevention of his re-arrest by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The writ application was taken up before Appeal Court Justices Mahinda Samayawardhane and Arjuna Obeysekara last morning (21). Delivering the verdict, the judge bench decided to dismiss the petition without a fee.
Riyaj was taken into custody on 14 April this year while in Puttalam. After five months of the arrest, he was released by the CID on 29 September. The CID cited lack of evidence to file a case against him.
Filing the writ application challenging the CID’s attempts to re-arrest him, Riyaj said he was apprehended on 14 April this year in connection to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks and was held under custody for a long time on a detention order.
The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of the CID Nuwan Wedasinghe, CID Director Prasanna de Alwis, CID Chief Inspector Mihindu Abeysinghe, and seven others were named as respondents.
He pointed out that during the detention period, the CID sleuths had conducted extensive investigations into his residences, properties, businesses, and bank accounts, following which he was subsequently released as there was no evidence to substantiate any criminal charges against him.
Despite this, various parties are pressurising for him to be re-arrested for political reasons, Riyaj stated. The petitioner had further noted that there is reasonable fear that he may be re-arrested as a result.
In the meantime, an interim petition was filed requesting the Court of Appeal to revoke the writ application put forward by Riyaj Bathiudeen to prevent him from being re-arrested.
Sethsarana Caritas Colombo Director Rev. Fr. Lawrence Ramanayake had lodged the interim petition on behalf of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.
The writ application was taken up before Appeal Court Justices Mahinda Samayawardhane and Arjuna Obeysekara last morning (21). Delivering the verdict, the judge bench decided to dismiss the petition without a fee.
Riyaj was taken into custody on 14 April this year while in Puttalam. After five months of the arrest, he was released by the CID on 29 September. The CID cited lack of evidence to file a case against him.
Filing the writ application challenging the CID’s attempts to re-arrest him, Riyaj said he was apprehended on 14 April this year in connection to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks and was held under custody for a long time on a detention order.
The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of the CID Nuwan Wedasinghe, CID Director Prasanna de Alwis, CID Chief Inspector Mihindu Abeysinghe, and seven others were named as respondents.
He pointed out that during the detention period, the CID sleuths had conducted extensive investigations into his residences, properties, businesses, and bank accounts, following which he was subsequently released as there was no evidence to substantiate any criminal charges against him.
Despite this, various parties are pressurising for him to be re-arrested for political reasons, Riyaj stated. The petitioner had further noted that there is reasonable fear that he may be re-arrested as a result.
In the meantime, an interim petition was filed requesting the Court of Appeal to revoke the writ application put forward by Riyaj Bathiudeen to prevent him from being re-arrested.
Sethsarana Caritas Colombo Director Rev. Fr. Lawrence Ramanayake had lodged the interim petition on behalf of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.