What were the allegations against former Inspector General of Police Chandana Deepal Wickramaratne?

The late Mr. Chandana Deepal (C. D.) Wickramaratne, a senior police officer who joined the Sri Lanka Police Service in 1986 and rose through various positions in the field, served as the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) from 2019 and was confirmed as the 35th IGP of the country in November 2020.

It is clear that according to public records, no criminal charges or convictions have been brought against him, who held that position until his retirement on November 25, 2023.

Specifically, his biographical information published by General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University also states that he served without any allegations of bribery or corruption. No major personal bribery or corruption charges, such as those leveled against officers like Deshabandu Tennakoon, who later became IGP, have been reported against Mr. Wickramaratne.

However, due to decisions made by Mr. Chandana Deepal Wickramaratne within his official capacity or by virtue of his official power as IGP, he was named as a respondent in several legal actions and was involved in various court cases. These legal situations are entirely different from being convicted of a criminal offense. In the case heard before a three-judge High Court panel against then-IGP Pujith Jayasundara regarding the failure to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, Mr. Wickramaratne was summoned as a witness, not as a defendant. Furthermore, although he was named as a respondent in several fundamental rights petitions, including the case filed by former Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director Shani Abeysekara against his suspension, being a respondent in a constitutional lawsuit does not confirm criminal liability or an offense.

As the head of the Police Department, he had to appear before the court on several occasions to clarify matters regarding police officer transfers and various administrative decisions. Furthermore, due to controversial backdated promotions given to several Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) in 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that Mr. C. D. Wickramaratne, as acting IGP, and the National Police Commission had violated fundamental rights. Considering the erroneous justifications and the prejudice caused to other officers, the Supreme Court took steps to suspend those promotion orders, and it is reported that this was a civil and administrative matter, not a criminal offense.

In 2025, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) questioned the former IGP and Deputy Inspector General of Police Varuna Jayasundara, head of the Special Task Force (STF), regarding the police's actions and orders to control the movement of mobs during the attacks on protestors near Galle Face and Temple Trees on May 9, 2022. However, even after those extensive investigations, no charges have been publicly filed against him. The extension of Mr. Wickramaratne's service tenure several times beyond the retirement age limit, during which he ordered internal investigations into statements made by individuals like former LTTE member Karuna Amman, led to political and legal debates. Although he continued in office amidst controversy, even after his third service extension was rejected by the Constitutional Council, none of these incidents led to the filing of a criminal case or an arrest against him for personal corruption, abuse of power, or criminal negligence.