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Sri Lanka’s police have launched a public appeal to locate their fugitive police chief, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon, after a court ordered his arrest in connection with the death of an officer.
Police spokesperson Buddhika Manatunga confirmed on Thursday that several special units had been deployed, but Tennakoon remains missing.
“We urge the public to provide any information about his whereabouts,” Manatunga told reporters in Colombo. He also warned that anyone found sheltering the IGP would face prosecution for obstructing justice.
Tennakoon is accused of authorising an illegal drug raid at a hotel in Weligama last year, which resulted in a deadly gun battle between officers. The raid found no drugs, but one officer was killed, and another was critically injured.
A foreign travel ban has been imposed to prevent him from fleeing the country.
Tennakoon’s appointment as police chief in November 2023 was controversial, as he had been suspended by the Supreme Court months earlier over a separate case.
The court had ruled that he tortured a suspect by rubbing menthol balm on his genitals and ordered him to pay compensation. Despite this, the government at the time still promoted him.
Now, as the hunt intensifies, police acknowledge that failing to locate their own chief has undermined public confidence in law enforcement. Authorities insist they are working with full force to bring him to justice.
