Two FR petitions filed over Easter Sunday attacks

By Manopriya Gunasekera 

A father who lost two children in the Kochchikade Church blast and a person engaged in the tourism industry filed two Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court yesterday. 

The Fundamental Rights petitions name the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Defence Ministry Secretary as respondents. The Fundamental Rights petitions say that they failed to act even though intelligence was available that the Easter Sunday attacks were being planned and failed to provide security to the places of worship and hotels to protect the public.  The petitioners request the Court to order that a criminal case be compiled against the IGP and Defence Ministry Secretary. The petitioners are Janath Vithanage who is employed in the tourism industry and Saman Nandana Thirimanna from Wellampitiya who lost his two children.  Attorney-at Law Gamini Perera filing the petition said that Thirimanna, who is a Buddhist, had lost his two children in the Kochchikade Church blast. The two children had attended mass as they had done well in their studies, the petitioner had stated.