Court revoked previous order against Lanka newspaper

Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) requested the court to extend the ban on Irida Lanka newspaper for another two weeks.

Rejecting the request, Gangodawila Chief Magistrate Anura Kumara Herath said he also withdraw the previous order allowing the police to seal newspaper office.

CID told the court that Irida Lanka, in its 17 January issue, has threatened national security by publishing details of investigations over senior LTTE leader Kumaran Pathmanathan known as KP.

Lanka newspaper has also alleged that there has been an attempt to manipulate the final result of the recently concluded presidential elections, police said.

LTTE leaders

But having read the articles, the magistrate observed that the CID has failed to convince the court that they are provoking public opinion.

	Police say they have no evidence to prove Daya Master was involved in terrorism

Sunil Watagala, the counsel appeared for Irida Lanka told BBC Sandeshaya that the court made the ruling based on the fact that public in Sri Lanka have a right to freedom of information and opinion.

However the newspaper's editor, Chandana Sirimalwatte, remains in detention under Sri Lanka's emergency laws. Under which a person can be held for 90 days without trial.

Meanwhile, the Colombo Magistrate Court on Monday relaxed the bail conditions for two former senior LTTE leaders.

The CID did not object to the request by Daya Master and George Master to relax the condition that they should appear at the CID headquarters in Colombo every month.

The magistrate then ordered then to only report to the CID office in Jaffna.

In Vavuniya, Kilinochchi district Government Agent Nagalingam Vethanayagam was charged of supporting Tamil Tigers at the Vavuniya high court on Monday.

He was later released on a Rs. 50000 bail.