Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali has granted permission to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to obtain information on six social media accounts that had spread false and defamatory information on the Court of Appeal and Court of Appeal Judge Balendran Shashi Mahendran.
The Colombo Chief Magistrate issued the order to the Internet Surveillance and Intelligence Unit of the CID yesterday.
The court issued this order after considering a request made by the CID to question the social media accounts, as part of investigations conducted into a complaint filed by Court of Appeal Judge Balendran Shashi Mahendran.
In his complaint, the judge states that false information has been posted on these social media accounts, deemed insulting to the Court of Appeal and him, following the acquittal of former MP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (Pillayan) in the case related to the murder of MP Joseph Pararajasingham.
The CID also informed the court that the judge had indicated in his complaint that photographs of himself wearing his official court attire had been published in this regard.
The investigating officers further told the court that the judge had revealed that the Court of Appeal Registrar had informed the CID in writing that the case in question was never called before him.
The investigating officers informed the court that in addition to that incident, the Court of Appeal judge has requested the CID to conduct a formal investigation into the matter, as the social media accounts have also published false information about his personal life.
The investigating officers have pointed out that preliminary investigations into the complaint have found that there appears to be an attempt to undermine the public’s trust in the judiciary. (Newswire)