The father of Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, alias “Harak Kata,” today filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal seeking an order directing the authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the detainee in accordance with the law.
Eight suspects, including the alleged drug kingpin Nadun Chinthaka alias “Harak Kata” and his accomplice identified as Salindu Malshika Gunaratne alias “Kudu Salindu,” were arrested in Madagascar for alleged drug trafficking charges. They are currently held in CID custody for further interrogations.
The petitioner, Nelson Mervin Wickramaratne, a retired assistant locomotive engineer employed in the Sri Lanka Railways, filed this petition further seeking an order preventing authorities from taking the detainee out of any place of detention without informing the relevant magistrate’s courts.
The petitioner stated his son has been named a suspect or indicted with respect to eight criminal cases at several courts.
The petitioner states that recently Makandure Madush, who was deported from the United Arab Emirates under similar circumstances to those of “the detainee” (Nadun Chntaka Wickramaratne), was killed while in police custody. The said person did not have any opportunity to establish his innocence before any court of law. However, the petitioner states that the members of the assassination squad who are alleged to have come for the said killing have not been apprehended up to this date and that no progress whatsoever has been made regarding the investigations pertaining to the said killing. This petition had been filed through attorney-at-law Manjula Balasuriya.
