UPDATE: General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) Joseph Stalinand 15 others from the group of 33 arrested for staging a demonstration in Battaramulla has been directed for quarantine after being released on bail.

Thirty-three persons including the General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin who were arrested for staging a demonstration in Battaramulla, in violation of quarantine laws, have been released on bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.

They were ordered released on a personal bail of Rs 25,000 each by the Colombo Additional Magistrate Kanchana Neranjala de Silva, Ada Derana reporter said.

After granting bail, the court instructed the accused to assist in the future investigations 

Producing the defendants before court, the Welikada Police officers informed the court that the accused had engaged in an unlawful assembly in violation of quarantine regulations and claimed that the protest had inconvenienced the ambulances traveling towards the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital and obstructed traffic on Parliament Road.

Police also alleged that this had caused a severe public disturbance. Therefore, the police requested the court to place the suspects in remand custody and order them to be sent to quarantine. 

The attorneys appearing on behalf of the defendants informed the court that the Police are using quarantine laws for political purposes and have taken steps to suppress the freedom of speech and freedom expression of the defendants. 
 
After considering the fact presented before the court, the Additional Magistrate stated that the court had no jurisdiction to direct the suspects to the quarantine process and pointed out that this should happen through the health officials. 

Accordingly, the suspects were ordered released on bail and the case was postponed to September 09. 

Meanwhile a tense situation has been reported in front of the Colombo Magistrate’s Court as CTU general secretary Joseph Stalin and the 32 others released on bail refused to undergo quarantine. 

Police had arrested over 30 individuals who were staging a protest at the Polduwa Roundabout in Battaramulla today (July 08), for violating the quarantine regulations currently in place.

The Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF), the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) and the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) had organized the protest against the proposed General Sir John Kotelawala National Defence University Bill.

General Secretary of the CTU Joseph Stalin, IUSF Convenor Rathkarawwe Jinarathana Thero, another Buddhist monk and two women were also among the arrestees.

They were produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court under the provisions of Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance.