In a recent session before the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday (29), it was disclosed that three out of the five Officers-in-Charge (OICs) who were transferred following the events of May 9, 2022, have consented to assume their roles at designated Police stations, as determined by their seniority in accordance with a settlement previously reached before the Court. The proceedings unfolded during the hearing of Fundamental Rights petitions lodged by the aforementioned OICs, contesting the validity of their transfers, presided over by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, alongside Justices Gamini Amarasekara and A.H.M.D. Nawaz.

Prior to this session, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had assured the SC that arrangements had been made to allocate these five OICs to appropriate Police stations based on their tenure. Additional Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne, representing the IGP, relayed to the Court that three of the OICs had agreed to take up duties at their newly assigned Police stations, while the remaining two declined their placements. Legal counsel for the dissenting officers informed the Court that their clients refused the designated stations due to perceived demotions in their ranks.

Given these circumstances, the SC resolved to conclude the hearings concerning the petitions submitted by the three compliant officers who accepted their assignments, while adjourning the hearings for the remaining two petitions to May 29. Representing the respondents, PC Saliya Peiris appeared before the Court.

In conclusion, the recent session before the Supreme Court shed light on the aftermath of the transfers of five Officers-in-Charge (OICs) following the events of May 9, 2022. While three OICs have agreed to embrace their new assignments at designated Police stations based on seniority, two officers have opted to contest their placements, citing concerns over perceived demotions. The Court has decided to proceed with hearings for the petitions filed by the compliant officers, while rescheduling proceedings for the dissenting officers to a later date. The outcome of these hearings will likely have significant implications for the affected officers and the broader context of police administration and justice.