Open warrant issued against IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon

The Matara Magistrate’s Court has issued an open warrant for the arrest of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon at the request of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The warrant is linked to a shooting incident in Weligama, Matara, on December 31, 2023, which resulted in the death of a police officer.

The CID informed the Matara Magistrate’s Court that investigations have been conducted at ten suspicious locations across the island. Additionally, intelligence officers have been deployed to eighteen other locations in an effort to apprehend the IGP, who is reportedly evading arrest.

On March 10, 2025, Deshabandu Tennakoon filed a writ petition with the Court of Appeal, seeking an order to prevent his arrest. The petition, submitted through his legal representatives, requests an interim injunction to stay the arrest warrant issued against him by the Matara Magistrate’s Court.

Previously, on March 6, 2025, Sri Lanka Police officially announced that Tennakoon could not be located and urged the public to provide any information regarding his whereabouts. Speaking at a press briefing, Police Spokesperson SSP Buddhika Manatunga stated that multiple police teams had been deployed to locate and arrest the IGP Tennakoon.

He further warned that anyone assisting Tennakoon in evading arrest would face legal action under Article 209 of the Penal Code.

The case dates back to December 31, 2023, when officers from the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) traveled to Weligama, Matara, to apprehend individuals linked to the notorious underworld figure Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, alias ‘Harak Kata.’

According to police reports, CCD officers in civilian attire were fired upon from inside the W15 Hotel, prompting them to return fire. Amidst the crossfire, a mobile patrol vehicle from the Weligama Police Station arrived and mistakenly opened fire on the CCD officers’ van, believing it was transporting criminals.

The van fled the scene, but two CCD officers sustained gunshot wounds. One of them, 47-year-old Police Sergeant Upul Chaminda Kumara, later succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical treatment.

Following a preliminary inquest into the incident, the Matara Chief Magistrate’s Court delivered its verdict on February 27, 2025.

The CID was then instructed to arrest and produce eight individuals, including former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, before the court.

Authorities continue their search for the fugitive former IGP, while legal proceedings remain ongoing.

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