A date has been set for the case regarding the non-payment of the electricity bill for Namal's wedding.

The Supreme Court today (17) decided to take up for hearing on July 01 the petition filed requesting a ruling that the fundamental rights of the public have been violated due to the failure to timely recover the outstanding bill of over two million rupees for the electricity obtained for the wedding of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Member of Parliament Mr. Namal Rajapaksa. This petition was considered before a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Preethi Padman Surasena, Kumuduni Wickramasinghe, and Achala Wengappuli.

Appearing in court on behalf of this fundamental rights petition filed by Attorney Vijitha Kumara, Attorney Thishya Weragoda pointed out that the Ceylon Electricity Board, named as a respondent, has now been converted into a company. Accordingly, he requested the court to allow the amendment of the petition to name the new company as a respondent and to grant another date to study the interim provisions of the new electricity act and present facts.

Here, Attorney Palitha Kumarasinghe, appearing for the respondent party, informed the court that the assets and liabilities belonging to the Ceylon Electricity Board have now been transferred to five private companies. He also stated that the electricity bill related to the said wedding ceremony has already been fully paid, and it had been previously informed to the court that the respondents had settled the relevant bill on a prior occasion.

However, responding to this, the petitioner's lawyer emphasized that it is a serious situation that authorities, who take steps to disconnect electricity as soon as an ordinary person's small electricity bill is delayed, failed to recover such a massive amount on time. He also clarified that the sole purpose of continuing this case is to obtain a declaration that the fundamental human rights of the people have been violated through this unusual conduct of the Ceylon Electricity Board. After considering all the facts presented, the Supreme Court bench, which allowed the petition to be heard, ordered it to be recalled on July 01.