Dr Shafi files FR petition challenging his arrest & detention

Dr. Seigu Siyabdeen Mohamed Shafi, who was arrested for allegedly accumulating assets via illegal means, has filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition with the Supreme Court requesting to declare his arrest and detention as unlawful, says Ada Derana reporter.

Attorney-at-Law Rushdi Habeeb has filed the Fr petition on behalf of Dr. Mohamed Shafi.

The Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of Kurunegala police station, OIC of the Criminal Investigations Division Inspector of Police Pushpalal, Director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) SSP Shani Abeysekera, Acting Inspector General of Police, Defence Secretary General Shantha Kottegoda and the Attorney General have been named as the respondents of the petition.

Dr. Shafi alleges that the police had arrested him without any justifiable reason after claims were rife on social media accusing him of performing illegal sterilization surgeries on over 4,000 Sinhalese Buddhist women.

In his FR petition, Dr. Shafi points out that the CID is detaining him to date under the orders obtained from the Defence Secretary.

Accordingly, Dr. Mohamed Shafi claims arresting and detaining him without any justifiable reason is unlawful and that his fundamental rights were violated as a result.

He seeks the Supreme Court to deliver an interim order revoking the detention orders issued by the Defence Secretary under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

42-year-old Dr. Mohamed Shafi was arrested on Friday (24) over earning assets through suspicious means. It was reported that he is a member of Minister Rishad Bathiudeen’s All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) and had contested the last General Election from the Kurunegala District under the UNP.

He was later handed over to the CID for further investigations.

However, accusations were later levelled at him for allegedly carrying out illegal sterilization surgeries on women who had got their first caesarean surgeries performed by him.