The Supreme Court today issued an interim injunction on Royal Park murder convict Jude Shramantha Anthony Jayamaha, who recently was granted a presidential pardon, preventing him from traveling overseas. 

The petition filed by the Women and Media Collective, challenging the decision by former President Maithripala Sirisena to pardon the convict, was taken up today before a judge bench comprising Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Vijith Malalgoda and Gamini Amarasekara.

President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena, appearing on behalf of the petitioners, made submissions and stated that the former President’s decision to select and pardon only this individual out of the over thousand convicts currently on death row, is completely unconstitutional. 

He also informed the court that they have received information that Mr jayamaha has already left the country.

Accordingly the judge bench ordered to take up the petition once again on December 09, while an interim injunction was also issued preventing Jude Shramantha Jayamaha from leaving the country effective until December 10.

The court also ordered the petitioners to name former President Maithripala Sirisena personally as respondents. 

Jude Shramantha Anthony Jayamaha was sentenced to death over the Royal Park murder case in 2005, an incident that gained widespread media attention at the time, but he was released on a presidential pardon earlier this month.

Meanwhile it has been reported that the 34-year-old has already left the country and has travelled to Singapore.