SC orders physician to examine child

Wasantha RAMANAYAKE

The Supreme Court yesterday ordered the consultant physician of the Anuradhapura Hospital to examine the displaced child whom he had earlier refused to examine without a Court order.

Senior State Counsel Riyaz Hamza informed Court that the child had been produced at the Vavuniya Hospital and later at the Anuradhapura Hospital. He told Court that he would look for the possibility of releasing the family. Counsel Saliya Pieris also moved for the release of the family since they had two houses in Vavuniya and Colombo.

The Bench comprised Justice Nimal Gamini Amaratunga, Justice P.A. Ratnayake PC and Justice Chandra Ekanayake.

Petitioner Attorney-at-Law Gauri Shangari Tawarasa filed the rights application on behalf of five members in the same family seeking their re-unification and release from the welfare centres. The case was put off for July 20.

Meanwhile, Deputy Solicitor General Shaveendra Fernando submitted to Court that around 8,600 IDPs had been released until July 7 from welfare centres in the North and the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court yesterday, in the rights application filed by Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA).

Deputy Solicitor General Fernando submitted that the Government was taking steps to uplift facilities at welfare centres.

President's Counsel Kanag Ishwaran for the CPA submitted among other matters that there were professionals and Government servants among the IDPs and they could be separated from LTTE cadres and released.

The Court granted the Deputy Solicitor General time till July 20 file objections resisting the Leave to Proceed being granted.

Deputy Solicitor General Fernando with Riyas Hamza and Viveka Siriwardane appeared for the respondents.

The Court fixed the matter for further support for August 6.