‘Arrest of pro JVP editor, only on President’s knowledge’

Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Minister of Mass Media and Information yesterday (February 16) instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to inform him before any legal action is taken against a journalist, a statement from the Presidential Secretariat said.

The statement also said that President Rajapaksa had instructed police chief Mahinda Balasuriya to assist in allowing bail for detained editor of pro-JVP 'Lanka Irida' newspaper Chandana Sirimalwatte.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrested Chandana Sirimalwatte on January 29 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and held him on the orders of the Defence Secretary.
Detained editor Sirimalwatte filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court on February 15, seeking an order that his arrest and detention were unlawful.

While all these things happening this way, the Gangodawila magistrate's court ordered to discharge the media personality yesterday afternoon. CID had also produced Sirimalwatte before the court but had not leveled any charges against him. The court had also released him without any bail conditions.

- Asian Tribune -