Thursday Oct 22, 2026
Thursday Oct 22, 2026
Thursday, 22 October 2026 00:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya
Gampaha Magistrate Bandula Gunarathna yesterday directed the Court Registrar to forward case files concerning Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya to the President of the Court of Appeal, to initiate contempt of court proceedings over the alleged failure to comply with court orders.
Gunarathna expressed serious concern that the Police had failed to implement a directive requiring the IGP to issue a circular to all police officers against filing baseless cases against innocent members of the public.
The directive arose from a case involving a resident of Delowewa, Makandana. The Gampaha Anti-Corruption Unit had filed drug possession charges against under case numbers 1743 and 1744. Having found the charges baseless, the court ordered three police officers and the Police Department to pay the accused Rs. 200,000 in compensation. It also directed the IGP to issue a nationwide circular instructing officers not to institute frivolous cases against innocent people.
Despite being given sufficient time to comply, the Police Department had reportedly failed to issue the circular. Instead, lawyers for the Police Legal Division yesterday submitted guidelines issued on 19 October, 2026 by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Western Province North. The guidelines applied only to the Gampaha, Kelaniya and Negombo police divisions.
Gunarathna criticised the Police for submitting instructions limited to a few divisions when the court had specifically ordered a circular covering the entire country. He observed that the move appeared to be an attempt to mislead the court.
Warning of the consequences of unwarranted arrests and baseless prosecutions, he questioned the sustainability of a system that encouraged the accumulation of cases instead of addressing the underlying causes of crime. He also expressed concern over the impact of such conduct on public confidence in law enforcement and the judiciary.
The case files forwarded include those concerning Weerasooriya’s alleged non-compliance, for the Court of Appeal President’s consideration of formal contempt of court proceedings.
