Rishad Bathiudeen files FR petition seeking to prevent arrest

Former Minister and the leader of the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) Rishad Bathiudeen has filed a Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court, seeking a court order preventing his arrest by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

Acting IGP C.D. Wickramaratne, the DIG in charge of the CID, the Director of the CID and the Attorney General have been named as respondents in the FR petition. 

In his petition, the former MP states that the CID has commenced an investigation into an alleged incident of transporting voters from Puttalam using buses belonging to the state-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) during the last presidential election.

The former minister claims that the CID is preparing to arrest him in connection with those investigations. 

Bathiudeen, in his petition, states that he has no connection to the incident in question and that the CID is maliciously attempting to arrest him over that.

He therefore requests the Supreme Court to issue an order declaring that this is in violation of his fundamental rights and to also issue an interim order preventing his arrest until this petition is heard and a verdict is delivered.