Harak Kata will be transferred to another secure prison

The Attorney General has decided to file an appeal against the order given by the Colombo High Court that the case against the defendants, including Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne alias 'Harak Kata', a powerful drug trafficker accused of conspiring to escape from the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department, cannot be maintained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. This was informed by the Government Counsel appearing for the Attorney General to Colombo High Court Judge Buddhika C.

Ragala.

When the case was taken up for hearing, President's Counsel Indrajith Kure, Attorneys Jaliya Samarasinghe, Udul Premaratne, and Harith Hettiarachchi, appearing for the defendants, raised preliminary objections, opposing the filing of the case against their clients under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The High Court Judge, accepting these objections, ruled that the case could not be maintained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, but pointed out that there was no impediment to maintaining the case under the Penal Code.

The Attorney General has 14 working days to file an appeal against the relevant High Court decision, and the Government Counsel told the court that it would not be appropriate to consider the defendants' bail applications during that period. Considering the submissions made, the judge postponed the order regarding the defendants' bail applications and ordered the case to be called again on August 20.

Furthermore, since the charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act have been dropped, the High Court Judge ordered the Superintendent of Prisons to take steps to transfer Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne alias 'Harak Kata', who is currently held under detention orders at the Tangalle Old Prison, to another suitable prison with security.

Charges including assaulting and injuring a police officer on duty and attempting to escape while being held in the custody of the Colombo Secret Police on or around September 10, 2023, have been leveled against Nadun Chinthaka and others. The other defendants in this case have been named as Police Constable Ravindu Sandeepa Gunasekara, Dinesh Tharanga, Ruwan Chamara, and Sanjaya Abeysinghe.