Minister Silva is regularly accused of assaulting and threatening media workers

Colombo additional magistrate Manjula Thilakaratne ordered Head Quarters Inspector (HQI) of Peliyagoda police station to personally hand over the order to IGP Jayantha Wickramaratne.

The judiciary made the order after police informed that four suspects including Labour Minister Dr. Mervyn Silva are evading police arrest.

Chairman of Kelaniya Pradesheeya Sabha Prasanna Ranaweera, and Minister Silva’s supporters: Nihal Silva and Sandun Asiri were named by the police as other suspects.

Second court order

It is the second time the police was ordered by the court to arrest all suspects over the incident in which Sirasa journalists were assaulted allegedly by the minister and his supporters in Peliyagoda, Kelaniya.

Journalists have been regualalrly protesting Minister Silva and his supporters' thresats against media

Police spokesman, SSP Ranjith Gunasekara, told BBC Sandeshaya after the first court order on 09 August that the arrest of Minister Silva was imminent.

The police however need time to study the order and to clearly identify the suspects, he added.

However, responding to a question by the additional magistrate as to why police failed to act upon the court order, the HQI said the suspects are evading the arrest.

Attacks on journalists

The police was also ordered to report to the court on the progress of the investigations on 29 August.

The controversial minister is regularly accused of assaulting and threatening media workers.

He was assaulted by angry state media workers after the news editor of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) was assaulted by minister’s entourage in December, last year.

At least five SLRC workers were attacked by unidentified assailants after the incident.

Some of the SLRC workers have fled the country due to fear fro their life.