Sri Lanka’s Police Chief Deshabandu Tennakoon Surrenders After Evasion

Deshabandu Tennakoon, the suspended Sri Lankan police chief, surrendered after two weeks of evading arrest for a shooting incident. His appeal against the arrest order was denied, and he faced legal scrutiny since being suspended in 2024 due to past allegations. A police raid at his home resulted in the seizure of liquor and weapons.

Deshabandu Tennakoon, the suspended inspector general of police in Sri Lanka, surrendered to court after evading arrest for over two weeks related to a 2023 shooting incident. On March 19, 2025, Tennakoon turned himself in at the magistrate’s court in Matara, where he was remanded for one day. His arrest followed the denial of his appeal against the arrest order from the Court of Appeal.

Tennakoon had been hiding since February 28, when the Matara court issued the arrest order connected to a December 2023 incident in Weligama. During a police operation led by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) targeting illegal drugs, Weligama police mistakenly opened fire on the CCD vehicle, resulting in the death of an officer.

The police initiated a manhunt for Tennakoon, deploying six teams to locate him and asking the public for assistance. He had been under suspension since July 2024 due to pending legal issues, including a Supreme Court order for a hearing on his appointment’s legality following torture allegations from 2023.

Despite his controversial past, Tennakoon was appointed police chief in November 2023. An acting police chief has been in place since that appointment while awaiting the outcome of his case. Police teams searching for Tennakoon conducted a raid at his Hokandara residence, recovering over 1,200 bottles of foreign liquor, personal weapons, and iPhones. His wife filed a complaint claiming the raid occurred without a warrant.

The surrender of Deshabandu Tennakoon highlights ongoing legal challenges surrounding his appointment as police chief and the tragic incident in Weligama that resulted in an officer’s death. His evasion of arrest and ultimately turning himself in also underscores the complexities of law enforcement accountability in Sri Lanka. This case continues to unfold as further investigations into his conduct and the legality of his tenure proceed.

Original Source: indianexpress.com