Magistrate orders arrest of Hirunika

By AJA Abeynayake

Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage on Friday ordered the arrest of two persons, including former MP Hirunika Premachandra, for not appearing before court when a case against 12 persons for having held a protest on 07 July 2022, in defiance of a court order, was taken up for hearing.

When the case was called in the open court on Friday, the lawyer representing Premachandra informed the court that his client was ill. However, he failed to produce a medical certificate related to the illness when the Magistrate asked for it and the Magistrate issued a warrant for her.

The other 10 suspects who had been released on bail appeared in open court.The group of defendants including Hirunika Neranjali Premachandra, Nirupama Karunanayake, Sapna Deepisika, Chamila Nilani Abeykoon, Rosell Wijeratne, Sandaruwan Rodrigu, U Prakash, Gihan Almeida, Ravindra Panavila, Wijeratne Jayawickrama, Ramsika, and Kavinda Udayanga have been accused of violating court orders during the protest which was held two days before the private house of President Ranil Wickremesinghe was set on fire on July 9 last year.