Rev.Fr. Jeevantha Peiris files FR petition to prevent his arrest

  Fr. Jeewantha Peiris has filed a Fundamental Rights application in Supreme Court seeking an order preventing  his arrest by the police and tri-forces regarding incidents connected to the  Galle Face protest. The petitioner states he joined the “GotaGoGama” protest from about April 09, 2022, and thereafter became an active participant in the protest in order to bring justice to the people who were made to suffer by the Government led by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The petitioner states after the “GotaGoGama” was destroyed by armed forces, he came to know from the evening television news broadcasts of July 25 that the police have obtained a travel ban against him. The Petitioner states that he came to know from Fr. Emil Fernando, Parish Priest, St. Joseph’s Church, Balangoda, that the OIC of the Balangoda Police Station along with a Sub Inspector at about 11.30 a.m. on 27.07.2022 have come to St. Joseph’s Church Balangoda looking for the Petitioner, and Fr. Emil Fernando has informed the Police that he does not live there. The petitioner further stated that he has not committed any offence that warrants his arrest and he verily believes that the police and certain officers of the tri-forces are looking for him for the purpose of arresting him. The petitioner has cited IGP Chandana Wickremaratne, Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon, Army Commander, Navy Commander, Air force  Commander and several others as respondents in the petition.