SC dismisses Dr. Shafi’s FR petition 

A fundamental rights petition filed by Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen seeking an order declaring that his arrest and detention as unlawful, was dismissed by the Supreme Court yesterday. 

In the petition, Dr Shihabdeen claimed his rights were infringed when he was arrested and detained by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Sri Lanka Police on 24 May 2019 over trumped-up charges of carrying out forced sterilisations on Sinhalese mothers at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. In the petition, Dr Shihabdeen also demanded damages from the Sri Lanka Police. 

The doctor claimed the police did not inform him of a valid reason for his arrest. He claimed he was arrested on baseless allegations. 

The petition filed by the medical professional was taken up before Supreme Court justices Vijith Malalgoda, Yasantha Kodagoda and Aruna Obseysekere. 

Ordering the petition to be dismissed without being taken up for consideration, Justice Vijitha Malalgoda said the doctor was arrested two weeks following the Easter Sunday attack and his arrest over allegations of having Rs. 400 million in undeclared assets was reasonable Justice Malalgoda said the doctor’s fundamental rights have not been infringed at the time as the Police had a just reason for his arrest.