July 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Thursday has granted leave to proceed with the fundamental rights petitions filed by six employees of the Sri Lanka Mirror website.

A bench comprising chief justice Shirani Bandaranayake and justices K. Sripavan and Eva Wanasundara issued the order when they heard the case of the petitioners who were challenging their arrests by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The petitioners have said that their fundamental rights were violated when they were arrested by the CID during a raid on their office on June 29.

The CID raided the offices of the Sri Lanka Mirror and Sri Lanka X News, the official website of the UNP and arrested nine employees of the two websites. They were later released on June 30 on police bail.

The petitioners including Editor Kelum Shivantha demand Rs. fifty million per person as damage for violating their fundamental rights.

The respondents of the petitions are the chief of the computer division of the CID, the Director of the CID, Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General.

Deputy Solicitor General Shavindra Fernando has stated to the Court that the petitioners were arrested for publishing irresponsible articles and news. The Court has scheduled the next hearing for 7 February 2013.