Pettagamage Anusha Indika vs Officer-in-Charge, Colombo Crimes Division – CA HABEAS CORPUS· WRIT APPLICATION NO. 06/12-2013

In the case between Pettagamage Anusha Indika (petitioner) and the Officer-in-Charge, Colombo Crimes Division, Dematagoda, and others (respondents), the court addressed whether the alleged arrest and disappearance of the petitioner’s husband by individuals identified as police officers constituted grounds for a Habeas Corpus order and warranted an inquiry. The court held that the circumstances, supported by the petitioner’s account and the respondents’ denial, justified a formal inquiry into the alleged arrest and disappearance. The decision reaffirmed the principle that judicial inquiry is necessary where the deprivation of liberty by state authorities is in question and evidence is inconclusive. Reliance was placed on established principles of constitutional and procedural law governing