Sri Lankan police arrest policeman businessman for aiding remanded chief Tennakoon

Colombo, Mar 29 (PTI) Sri Lankan police on Friday arrested a police constable and a businessman for aiding suspended police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon to hide while evading arrest.
     The police launched the investigation after the suspended inspector general was remanded in custody until April 3, when the case is set for its next hearing.
     The policeman and the businessman were released on bail shortly after their arrest, according to the police.
     Tennakoon is currently in remand custody at a central provincial jail in Kandy district in connection with a shooting incident in 2023.
     He surrendered to the court on March 19 after evading arrest for over two weeks. He had lost his appeal at the Court of Appeal to prevent his arrest.
     The magistrate’s court in the southern district of Matara ordered his arrest over a shooting incident in the southern resort of Weligama on December 30, 2023.
     A policeman was killed in a shooting during a failed undercover operation linked to Tennakoon’s drug crackdown since he assumed duties as inspector general in November 2023.
     In July last year, Tennakoon was suspended by the Supreme Court, which ordered a hearing on the legality of his appointment.
     He was appointed the police chief despite being found guilty of torturing a person in custody by the Supreme Court in a fundamental rights petition.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)