Fifteen including Hirunika bailed after stern warning
Fifteen suspects including Samagi Jana Balawegaya Women’s Wing National Organiser former MP Hirunika Premachandra were yesterday ordered to be released on bail after being produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Nandana Amarasinghe.
The Magistrate strongly warned that if they comes before the court on such charges again, the bail will be revoked and they will be put in remand custody.
They were released on a cash bail of Rs.10000 and a surety of Rs.5,000,000 each.
The Magistrate also ordered them to appear before the Cinnamon Garden Police on every Sunday.
They were arrested for participating in a demonstration that was held to call for an end to violence against women in view of “the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women” which is commemorated in November. Assistant Superintendent of Police Neville Silva informed the Magistrate that a group of police officers along with the OIC of the Cinnamon Garden Police went to Torrington at around 10.30 am.
“The third suspect along with five other suspects had held a protest at the place without any prior notice. A stage play was also conducted in front of the UN Office in Colombo. However, the Police did not interfere with it. Later, they started moving towards the Presidential residence and the police announced that they should leave because they were members of an unlawful assembly.
However, no one obeyed with the police orders. Ten people were arrested there because they resisted the police. Later, three other suspects including Hirunika Premachandra came to the police and crossed the road and forced the police to release the suspects”, ASP Silva added.
Accordingly, the charges have been filed against the suspects under section 140,146,183,185 and 344 of the Penal Code.
ASP also requested to remand them as she is violating the law by using the privileges of a woman and is making the police uncomfortable by leading such protests.
The Police also pleaded to issue an order directing the media channels to handover relevant video clips pertaining to the incident.
Attorneys appearing on behalf of the suspects stated that they went to the police station to see an arrested person. However several suspects were arrested for obstructing police duty and now the police are submitting false reports to the court.
Attorney Gunarathne Wanninayake stated that these police submitted facts to the court that the suspects came for a big crime. He further stated that the whole country knows how female police officers are treated in the police. They could not even protect the former president when there were eighty thousand police officers in the police.The two sides exchanged submissions creating a din inside court.
Magistrate:If there is a problem, go outside and solve it.Is this a fish market?
After hearing of lengthy submissions, the Magistrate observed that there are mistakes in both parties and stated that not every police officer is wrong.