The Supreme Court yesterday fixed the fundamental rights application filed by a group of media personnel attached to state run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) against their being made political victims by sending them on compulsory leave from April 27.
The petitions from programme producers, a programme production assistant and a stores officer were taken up for inquiry by a Bench comprising Justices Shirani A. Bandaranayake and Chandra Ekanayake. The SLRC, its Chairman Ariyarathne Athugala, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, Police Chief Mahinda Balasooriya and the Attorney General were cited as respondents. M.A. Sumanthiran, J.C. Weliamuna and Crishmal Warnasuriya appeared for the petitioners while Deputy Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam with Senior State Counsel Nerin Pulle appeared for the Attorney General.
Petitioners Pradeep Athula Peiris, TV Producers’ Union and its Secretary Gamini Pushpakumara instructed by M.I.M. Iynullah in a similar petition told Court that from 2008 several attempts were made to interrupt or interfere with the petitioners’ work by the SLRC and its chairman for reasons they suspect to be politically motivated.