The Matara Chief Magistrate, Aruna Indrajith Buddhadasa, issued an open warrant today (11), ordering the immediate arrest of suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon upon sight.
This decision follows a request from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to issue an open warrant for the arrest of the suspect.
The CID informed the court that they had already searched ten locations where the former IGP was believed to be hiding but had failed to locate him. Additionally, intelligence officers are currently monitoring 18 other locations where he is suspected to be in hiding.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal had previously scheduled a hearing for tomorrow (12) to verify the facts related to a writ petition filed by Deshabandu Tennakoon.
The Matara Magistrate had initially issued a warrant for his arrest following a magisterial inquiry into the death of a sergeant from the Colombo Crime Division. The officer was killed during a shooting incident in Weligama, Matara, in 2023, allegedly involving Weligama police officers in response to an attack by individuals arriving in a white van at the W15 hotel.
