Bhathiya Barukanda
Sri Lankan authorities are on the hunt for controversial former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon after a court ordered his arrest in connection with a fatal shooting during a botched police raid. The former police chief, notorious for his alleged human rights violations, disappeared after the Matara Magistrate’s Court issued an arrest warrant against him and several other officers.
The case stems from a police operation on December 31, 2023, when a unit from the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) was deployed to Weligama, a resort town about 150 kilometers south of Colombo, allegedly to search a hotel for illegal drugs. However, local law enforcement, unaware of the undercover operation, confronted the CCD officers, resulting in a gunfight that left one police officer dead and another critically wounded. According to reports, no drugs were found at the scene.
Commenting on this, Police Media Spokesperson SSP Buddhika Manatunga, had stated:
“The shooting carried out by officers of the Weligama Police was based on the right of self-defense, and accordingly, no legal action has been taken against them. However, the deployment of Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) officers to this location has been carried out in an unlawful manner. As a result, the court has ordered the arrest of 8 officers including those who arrived at the scene that day as well as the then Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, and directed that they be named as suspects in the case.”
Following investigations, the Matara Magistrate’s Court ruled that the deployment of the CCD officers had been unauthorized. Consequently, the court ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to arrest Tennakoon along with eight other police officers on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. Among those wanted is former Colombo Crimes Division Officer-in-Charge, Anselm de Silva.
Despite the court order, authorities attempting to enforce the arrest warrant found that Tennakoon had gone into hiding, leaving behind his security detail. To prevent his escape, the Matara Magistrate’s Court imposed an overseas travel ban. This directive was issued following a request made by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
Tennakoon’s tenure as Sri Lanka’s police chief has been marred by controversy. Appointed as IGP in November 2023, his selection was met with widespread condemnation. In a previous case, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka found him guilty of torturing a suspect by rubbing menthol balm on his genitals. The court ordered him to pay LKR 500,000 ($1,600) in compensation to the victim, but the government at the time ignored calls for disciplinary action against him.
Despite his tainted record, Tennakoon was elevated to the highest rank in the police force, further deepening public mistrust in Sri Lanka’s law enforcement institutions. However, in July 2024, the Supreme Court suspended him pending a hearing, underscoring the increasing legal pressure he faced.
The arrest warrant has triggered a political firestorm. Sri Lanka’s president Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently alluded to Tennakoon’s disappearance, stating that a key wanted figure had gone missing after leaving his residence without his security officers. While Dissanayake expressed confidence that Tennakoon would surrender soon, law enforcement officials are continuing their search.
During a parliamentary debate, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala insisted that police were handling the matter independently. Meanwhile, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala reiterated that no one is above the law. He dismissed suggestions of a political witch hunt and emphasized that the court—not the government—had ordered the arrest.
We need your support. Every contribution counts.
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
source:https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/sri-lankas-fugitive-police-chief-deshabandu-goes-mission
