CJ questions as to how a blind man got weapons training

The court made the warning as a fundamental rights (FR) petition by a blind LTTE suspect was taken for hearing.

Police have accused the detainee, Sriselvan Jude, of taking weapons training from the LTTE, the state counsel informed the court.

Chief Justice Asoka de Silva then questioned as to how a blind person get weapons training.

'Rubber stamp'

He warned the state counsel not to use the judiciary as a rubber stamp to justify police activities.

Lawyers appeared for the suspect told the court that their client who was in a camp for the displaced has been arrested by the police on 26 July after they filed the petition seeking his release on 15 July.

They argued that the arrest of Mr. Jude was illegal.

The police have then accused him of being previously trained by the Tamil Tigers.

Blaming the police for continuously detaining the blind suspect, the Supreme court ordered the state counsel to report on the possibility of releasing him on bail.

The case has been postponed until 20 September.