Pastor Jerome Fernando has submitted a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition, seeking protection from arrest by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The Court of Appeal is scheduled to hear this petition on 4 October. This development follows a recent court session presided over by Appellate Court President Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice Chamath Morais on 22 September.
Earlier, on 26 May, the self-proclaimed prophet lodged an FR petition with the Supreme Court, represented by his legal counsel, in an effort to prevent his potential arrest. The respondents in this petition include the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the CID’s director, the DIG overseeing the CID, and the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the CID’s cybercrimes unit.
Pastor Jerome Fernando asserts in his petition that the CID’s attempts to apprehend him are unjustified, as there is a lack of evidence presented to the court to substantiate claims that his statements pose a threat to religious harmony within the country.