Sri Lanka, July 23 -- The Supreme Court today held that the arrest of social activist Anuruddha Bandara during the 2022 "GotaGoHome" protest movement was arbitrary and unlawful, ruling that the police violated his fundamental rights by arresting him without objectively reasonable grounds.

In a judgment delivered today, a three-judge bench comprising Justices Janak De Silva, Dr. Sobhitha Rajakaruna and Menaka Wijesundera found that the petitioner's rights under Articles 12(1) and 13(1) of the Constitution had been infringed by the then Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon and the Officer-in-Charge of the Colombo North Crimes Investigation Division.

Justice Dr. Sobhitha Rajakaruna delivered the judgment, with t...