A seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court today commenced hearing the Fundamental Rights petitions filed against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernanado and IGP Pujith Jayasundara, who has been sent on compulsory leave.
A fuller bench comprising seven judges of the Supreme Court was appointed to hear the petitions filed against the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and former Defense Secretary, claiming that they had violated fundamental rights by failing to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks.
The judge bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya also comprise of Justices Sisira de Abrew, Buwaneka Aluvihare, Priyantha Jayawardena, Prasanna Jayawardena, L.T.B. Dehideniya and Murdu Fernando.
The petitions were filed by 11 parties including the Sri Lanka Bar Association (BASL), a businessman engaged in the tourism sector named Janak Sri Vidanage and Saman Nandana Sirimanne, a father who had lost his son and daughter in the attack on April 21st.
The petitioners accuse that the IGP and the former Defense Secretary of infringing the fundamental rights of the people by failing to prevent the terror attacks on churches and hotels even when intelligence information had forewarned.
