-By Sunil Gamini Jayalathge
(Lanka-e-News -28.March.2026, 10.30 AM) Sandaruwan Senadheera, the editor-in-chief of the 'Lanka e News' website, was arrested by the Immigration and Emigration Department at the Katunayake International Airport on the afternoon of the 11th after returning to Sri Lanka after 16 years abroad and handed over to the Airport Police. He was then taken into custody by the Katunayake Police and later taken into custody by the Colombo Criminal Investigation Department.
The Criminal Investigation Department produced Sandaruwan Senadheera before the Gampaha Court on March 12th, and Gampaha Chief Magistrate Seelani Perera ordered his release on two sureties of Rs. 1 million each.
The case was re-examined yesterday (27).
The court yesterday released him and has also taken steps to lift the flight ban imposed on him.
Sandaruwan Senadheera was arrested on charges of acting in contempt of court during the investigation into the 2009 assault and serious injury of Upali Tennakoon, a former editor-in-chief of the Divaina newspaper, in the Imbulgoda area of Gampaha.
When the case was taken up for hearing yesterday, the Criminal Investigation Department informed the court that the department had no reason to file charges or proceed with an investigation against Sandaruwan, who is not a party to the case. They also informed the court that they found that no contempt of court proceedings were being filed against Sandaruwan. Senior Counsel Kanil Maddumage, appearing for Sandaruwan, requested the court to release his client from this case since he was not in this jurisdiction at the time of the incident in 2016 and was in England and that there were no charges against him so far, and to lift the travel ban on him, who is a British citizen. Accordingly, Gampaha Magistrate Bandula Gunaratne released the Lanka e News editor from this case and also lifted the flight ban imposed on him.
In this case, a group of lawyers including Kanil Maddumage and Vimukthi Rajapaksa appeared for the Lanka e News editor on the advice of President's Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma.
Sandaruwan Senadheera left Sri Lanka in March 2010 due to threats following the abduction of Lanka e News journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.
While abroad, he ran the news agency, which was later completely destroyed by fire in 2011.
His return earlier this month was his first visit to Sri Lanka in 16 years.
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by (2026-03-28 05:47:24)
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