Curfew and quarantine violators : Police empowered to arrest anyone – DIG Ajith Rohana

Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) of Police Ajith Rohana said that the Police have been empowered to apprehend any person who violates the ongoing curfew regulations and the Quarantine Ordinance, adding that five Gazette notifications, which had entrusted the Police with such powers, had already been issued.

He made this claim to journalists who had gathered outside the Nugegoda Chief Magistrate’s Court when the case against former United National Front Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayaka was taken up for hearing yesterday (28).

Ramanayaka has been released on bail after being produced in Court on charges of flouting ongoing curfew regulations and obstructing Police officers from performing their duties.

Rohana said that President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, who represents Ramanayaka had claimed on 20 April that without having issued an official Gazette Notification, regarding the imposition of the curfew, no person could be arrested.

He said that a group of Police officers had arrived at the Court yesterday in order to counter the charges levelled against the Police by Sumanthiran. The case against Ramanayaka was put off to 28 September.

(Source: Ceylon Today – By Kumudu Upul Shantha)