The President of the Court of Appeal has appointed a three-judge bench to hear the appeal filed by former Member of Parliament Hirunika Premachandra challenging her prison sentence.

The appeal was referred to the President of the Court of Appeal for further action after a division arose among the judges when considering the verdict.

Accordingly, the appeal was taken up today (11) before the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Rohantha Abeysooriya.

During the proceedings, Justice Abeysooriya appointed a three-member bench comprising Justices P. Kumararatnam and Pradeep Hettiarachchi, along with himself, to hear the appeal.

The court further directed that the appeal be taken up for hearing before the newly appointed bench on January 21, 2027.

Former MP Hirunika Premachandra was convicted by the Colombo High Court over charges including the abduction of a young man employed at a shop in the Dematagoda area on December 21, 2015, using a Defender vehicle, unlawful detention and assault.

Following her conviction, the High Court sentenced her to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine.

Premachandra subsequently filed the appeal seeking to have the convictions and sentences set aside and to be acquitted and released from the charges.