The only female representative at the National Police Commission (NPC), Renuka Ekanayake, has resigned from her position effective from 8 August.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning yesterday (9), NPC Chairman Lalith Ekanayake confirmed that Ekanayake had submitted her resignation from the NPC to the Speaker of Parliament citing personal reasons.

“The letter has been sent straight to the Speaker of Parliament,” said the Chairman, explaining that it had not been sent through the commission.

However, The Sunday Morning reliably learns that the resignation had come in the context of mounting social media pressure against Ekanayake. 

The Chairman of the commission refrained from commenting further on the reasons for her resignation, despite questions in this regard.

Sources close to Ekanayake said she had faced personal attacks and was under tremendous pressure from social media, which had led to her resignation. 

The commission had acknowledged her resignation via letter last week.

Renuka Ekanayake was the only female member of the NPC. She is also the wife of former Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, who served in the position under the Ranil Wickremesinghe Government from 2022.

The commission, which has seven seats, now has two vacancies following Renuka Ekanayake’s resignation.

Its current members are Chairman E.W.M. Lalith Ekanayake, Kanapathipillai Karunaharan, Dilshan Kapila Jayasuriya, A.A.M. Illiyas, and Jayantha Jayasinghe.

The NPC was established under the 21st Amendment to the Constitution and members were appointed on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council. The current members of the commission assumed duties on 16 May 2023 at the commission’s Head Office at the BMICH. 

The 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which was passed by Parliament on 31 October 2022, envisaged the appointment/establishment of nine independent commissions. The NPC is one of the independent commissions that was established under the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, vested with wide powers pertaining to Police officers and thereby in relation to the Police service, and acts as an oversight body.

First set up in 2002 under the 17th Amendment, the body’s powers and composition have been revised through subsequent constitutional changes.

Under its current mandate, the commission has authority over appointments, promotions, transfers, disciplinary control, and dismissals of Police officers other than the Inspector General of Police, and also investigates public complaints against the Police.