90-day detention order issued on Mudalige, two others

The Ministry of Defence issued a 90-day Detention Order (DO) against the Convener of the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Wasantha Mudalige and two others yesterday.

Accordingly, Wasantha Mudalige, Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera and Hashantha Jeewantha will be detained and questioned by the CID/TID for 90 days with effect from yesterday.

The Divisional Crimes Investigation Unit of Kelaniya arrested these three individuals during a protest march organised by the IUSF in Colombo on August 18. By the time of the arrest, the Colombo Fort Magistrate had issued arrest warrants on Mudalige for failing to appear before courts over a case against a protest held in 2021.

After being arrested, the three suspects were initially detained for 72 hours by the Peliyagoda Police over a DO obtained from the SP in charge of the Kelaniya Division and were later handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on the instructions of the IGP.

The IGP had instructed the CID Director to conduct an investigation to reveal if these suspects have committed any crime or panned any coup against the state and if so, to hand them over to the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID).

Both the CID and the TID function under the purview of the Director CID. However, the 90-day DO was issued by the Defence Ministry while the 72-hour DO was in effect.