Sri Lanka's police chief surrenders after weeks of evading arrest
The Hindu
Suspended police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon surrenders after evading arrest for two weeks in shooting incident case.
Deshabandu Tennakoon, the suspended inspector general of police, surrendered to the court on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) after evading arrest for over two weeks in a case related to a shooting incident in 2023.
Mr. Tennakoon, who had been on a run since February 28, turned himself in at the magistrate’s court at the southern town of Matara. The court sent him to remand prison for a day.
The police chief had two days ago lost his appeal at the Court of Appeal to prevent his arrest. The Appeal Court refused his plea without a hearing.
Mr. Tennakoon, under suspension since July 2024, remained a fugitive and was hiding since the Magistrate’s court in Matara on February 28 ordered his arrest over the December 2023 incident in the southern resort of Weligama.
Mr. Tennakoon, as the inspector general, had sent police officers from the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) to the resort hotel in Weligama for a raid in connection with illegal drugs. However, the Weligama police, unaware of the undercover operation, opened fire at the CCD vehicle, killing an officer.
The police sought public support to arrest their chief while deploying six teams to hunt for Mr. Tennakoon after the Matara court order.
Mr. Tennakoon was suspended in July 2024 from functioning by the Supreme Court, which also ordered a hearing on the legality of his appointment after it received petitions regarding it.
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