Kegalle police’s ‘fairy tale’ on Kumar Gunaratnam’s arrest came undone today at the Kegalle Magistrate’s Court, Front Line Socialist Party Propaganda Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda said.

The Kegalle police gave evidence today over the arrest of Gunaratnam on November 4, 2015. The police claimed that they had not known Gunaratnam’s house and had reached there only on a tip off. Since the front door of the house was closed, the police surrounded the house and found Gunaratnam.

However, the police claimed that they had not known the identity of the individual at the time. He was arrested since he could not provide legal identification, the police said.

At this juncture, Gunaratnam’s lawyers questioned the police and asked them to explain the legal grounds on which he was arrested for not providing an ID. Under Sri Lankan law, an individual cannot be arrested for not having a valid ID, the lawyers pointed out.

Police said that once Gunaratnam’s identity was revealed, a statement was recorded and he was produced before the courts, according to directions given by the IGP, on a request made from the IGP by the Immigration and Emigration Controller.

The lawyers then inquired as to when the directive was received by Kegalle Police. In reply, police said that the direction was received in February 2015. It was recorded in a record book in the police, they also said.

The Magistrate ordered the police to produce the record book at the next hearing on February 23 and remanded Gunaratnam further.

However, FLSP Propaganda Secretary Jayagoda refused the ‘fairy tale’ on the record book and letter and said that the letter was faxed to Kegalle Police only on the afternoon of November 4, following Gunaratnam’s arrest.

“We are also waiting to see the record book” he said.

Kumar Gunaratnam was arrested on November 4, 2015, on alleged immigration and emigration law violations.