Sept 15, Colombo: The Court of Appeal ordered that the international drug trafficker and organized crime gang member Nandun Chinthaka Wickramaratne alias Harak Kata should not be taken from the place where he is currently detained without notifying the Fort Magistrate Court and the Attorney General.

The court ordered this directive issuing a notice to hear a petition filed by Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, who is currently detained by the Criminal Investigation Department on detention orders, seeking to stop extension of his detention.

The Court of Appeal bench comprising chairman Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice Chamath Moraes issued the interim order, which will remain in effect until the hearing of the petition is concluded.

The petition will be reconsidered on the 25th. Harak Kata had submitted this petition through his lawyers asking for an order to prevent the further extension of the detention order issued against him.

The suspect recently made an attempt to escape from the custody of the CID when he was taken out for questioning

Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, one of the main underworld gang leaders engaged in drug trafficking from Dubai, was arrested in Madagascar in March this year and brought to Sri Lanka. He was initially detained by the Criminal Investigations Department for 90 days for further interrogations and his detention was extended for a second time after the first detention period.