Pillayan’s Fundamental Rights Petition: Verdict Reserved

05-Jun-2026

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The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment in the fundamental rights petition filed by Pillayan challenging his arrest and continued detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

The petition was taken up for hearing on June 2 before a three-judge bench comprising Justices Mahinda Samayawardena, Arjuna Obeyesekere, and Kihan Kulatunga.

Appearing for the petitioner, President’s Counsel Manohara de Silva argued that the arrest and continued detention of his client under the PTA were unlawful.

He submitted that officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), who arrested his client, had failed to inform him of the reasons for the arrest, amounting to a violation of his fundamental rights. Although the CID had stated that the arrest was connected to the disappearance of the former Vice-Chancellor of the Eastern University nearly 19 years ago, there was no legal provision under the PTA permitting an arrest on that basis.

Counsel further argued that the CID had failed to present sufficient grounds to the President, in his capacity as Minister of Defence, when seeking approval for the detention order under the PTA. Therefore, the manner in which authorisation for detention had been obtained was entirely unlawful.