Enjoining order extended

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Colombo District Court yesterday extended the enjoining order till May 7 that restrained Sri Lanka Muslim Congress from suspending the party membership of Deputy Minister K. Abdul Bais from the SLMC. The Court also fixed May 7 for hearing.

The same enjoining order also restrained the United National Party from taking action to suspend Deputy Minister sitting in Parliament by informing the Secretary General of the Parliament based on the same suspension from the party membership of the SLMC.

The Court, on an earlier date issued the order when SLMC member and Deputy Minister K. Abdul Bais filed a plaint before the District Court stating that issuance of a letter on February 24 by SLMC General Secretary Hassan Ali suspending his party membership based on a news item published in a newspaper, without any inquiry was a total violation of natural justice.

The plaintiff also stated that the news item was incorrect and later the newspaper carried a correction.

Plaintiff Bais cited 28 defendants including SLMC, its leader Rauf Hakeem, Hassan Ali, UNP and its General Secretary Tissa Attanayake as the respondents.