Writ application of SSP Keerthiratne.

The Court of Appeal will deliver the order in the writ application filed by Senior Superintendent of Police K.B Keerthiratne and three others challenging the decision of the Kegalle Magistrate to remand them on August 30. The Kegalle magistrate remanded the four Police officers in connection with the Rambukkana shooting incident. A two-judge bench of the Court of Appeal comprising Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna and Justice Dhammika Ganepola fixed the order for interim relief on August 30. In their writ application, the petitioners stated that there is no reasonable suspicion of committing a crime by the applicants since they acted to disperse an unruly crowd. They further said that the Magistrate had misdirected herself when making an order directing the IGP to arrest the persons who were responsible for the shooting. The Attorney General had raised objections against the writ petition citing there is no necessity to intervene in the Magistrate’s order. Police arrested SSP Keerthiratne for allegedly giving orders to shoot at protesters, while three other officers were arrested for opening fire at the protesters in Rambukkana on April 19. The protesters had been agitating against the overnight price hike of fuel after blocking the railway tracks.