By In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has imposed a fine of Rs. 3 million on a private citizen, Mr. M.M. Saveen Chathuranga, for lodging a false complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) against another private citizen, Mr. Ganeshan Samson Roy.
The Court also ordered three CID officers to pay compensation to Mr. Roy for their role in his wrongful arrest and detention.
Mr. Chathuranga had accused Mr. Roy of defrauding him of Rs. 7 million by agreeing to import BMW vehicles on his behalf and then avoiding him. However, the Court found that the complaint was “certainly false” and that the CID officers had acted “without making any attempt to verify the complaint independently or attempting to verify whether the complaint” of Mr. Chathuranga was creditworthy.
The Court also held that Mr. Chathuranga was liable for instigating the CID to use its powers to achieve his ulterior motives.
The Court’s judgment is a significant step in protecting the fundamental rights of citizens and preventing the abuse of state power. It is also a warning to those who would seek to misuse the criminal justice system for their own personal gain.
