Sri Lanka Police have stepped in to halt their own public appeal. Media houses have been asked to take down and stop publishing the earlier notice that requested public assistance to track down a 47-year-old suspect.
The suspect was wanted in connection with alleged sexual harassment complaints tied to Facebook and WhatsApp. The Sammanthurai Police had been conducting the investigation.
Court Steps In
The shift came after the suspect filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal to prevent his arrest. According to the Police Media Division, the court directed that he should not be taken into custody until directions are provided by the Attorney General.
The Senior Superintendent of Police heading the Ampara Division alerted the Police Media Division about these legal developments.
Call to Media Houses
Because of the court order, police urged all media networks to immediately halt broadcasting or publishing the notice to catch the suspect. This new update cancels the previous public call for details on his whereabouts.
Police have also asked media outlets to grant this clarification the very same prominence given to the initial alert.
