A Sri Lankan court has ordered the immediate arrest of former Sri Lankan cricket captain Aravinda de Silva and his wife over their repeated absence from court hearings.
According to foreign media reports, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court issued arrest warrants for de Silva, a member of Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning squad, and his wife, Priyanga Anushka Wijenayake.
The court ordered that the couple be arrested and produced before the bench after they failed to appear for a scheduled hearing. De Silva’s name surfaced in connection with the death of Kapila Chandrasena, a former chief executive of SriLankan Airlines and his brother-in-law. Chandrasena’s body was reportedly found at the former cricketer’s residence.
De Silva appeared before the Fort Magistrate’s Court on May 12 this year and recorded his statement in connection with the case. His wife later also appeared before the court and recorded her statement.
The couple had previously acted as sureties for Priyanka Neuma, de Silva’s sister-in-law, in an earlier case. They subsequently approached the court seeking to withdraw from their responsibilities as sureties. The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court had scheduled a hearing on their request. However, after the couple failed to appear, the judge issued arrest warrants and ordered their immediate arrest and production before the court.