Sri Lankan duo has surrendered, HC informed

Sirantha, Saffras had criminal antecedents

The Centre and the State government informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday that two Sri Lankan nationals with criminal antecedents, who had exited India, had surrendered before the Colombo Chief Magistrate.

Assistant Solicitor General V. Kathirvelu submitted that the communication received by the Ministry of External Affairs from the Sri Lankan authorities confirmed that Sanga Sirantha and Mohammed Saffras had surrendered before the local court in the island nation on September 10.

Following information that five men were arrested by the Pamban police for helping the accused sail back to their country, Additional Advocate General K. Chellapandian submitted that the investigation into the case was on and would be completed as expeditiously as possible. Departmental proceedings were initiated against the officers responsible for the escape of the duo, he added.

Taking cognisance of the submissions of the Centre and the State government, a Division Bench of Justices S. Vaidyanathan and N. Anand Venkatesh directed the authorities to complete the investigation and file the final report. The case was posted to February 2020 for reporting compliance.

Evaded arrest

Sanga Sirantha and Mohammed Saffras had escaped to India to evade arrest by Sri Lankan authorities. They were arrested by the Ramanathapuram police for entering India without valid documents, remanded in judicial custody and lodged in the Puzhal central prison in Chennai.

The duo had sought bail, the plea for which was dismissed by the High Court Bench. To facilitate their deportation, the case pending against them before the lower court was withdrawn.

However, the order of the judicial magistrate was misconstrued by the Puzhal prison authorities. After their release from prison, it was alleged that the duo escaped to Sri Lanka.