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Inspector General of Police (Sri Lanka)

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The Inspector General of Police (IGP) is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Police. They are the most senior police officer in Sri Lanka and oversees all police personnel throughout the country. The IGP reports to the Minister of Law and Order, when the Police Service is under the Ministry of Law and Order as it is currently.

Inspector General of Police
Flag of the Sri Lanka Police
since 27 September 2024
Sri Lanka Police Service
AbbreviationIGP
Member ofNational Security Council
Reports toMinistry of Law and Order
NominatorPresident of Sri Lanka
AppointerConstitutional Council
Constituting instrumentPolice Ordinance, No. 16 of 1865
PrecursorFiscal of Colombo
Formation3 September 1866; 158 years ago (1866-09-03)
First holderWilliam Robert Campbell
(as Chief Superintendent of Police)
DeputySenior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG)
Websitewww.police.lk

History

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The post of Inspector General of Police in Sri Lanka can be traced as far back as 1797 when the office of Fiscal was created and Fredric Barron Mylius was appointed as Fiscal of Colombo and entrusted with responsibility of policing the City of Colombo.[2] In 1833, the Head of the Police Service was called the Superintendent of Police, in 1836 the designation was changed to Chief Superintendent of Police.[3]

The official establishment of the Ceylon Police Force was on 3 September 1866 when William Robert Campbell (then the chief of police in the Indian province of Rathnageri) was appointed as Chief Superintendent of Police in Ceylon to be in charge of the Police units.[4][5] This post officially became the Chief of Police but was soon changed to that of the Inspector General of Police accordingly William Robert Campbell became the first Inspector General of Police.[6]

On 26 April 2019 President Maithripala Sirisena instructed Pujith Jayasundara to resign over failures that led to the deadly Easter bomb attacks. Due to a lack of response from Jayasundara, he was put on compulsory leave with Senior DIG C. D. Wickramaratne appointed as the acting Inspector General.[7]

After two extensions Wickramaratne was given a third extension by President Ranil Wickramasinghe on 9 October 2023, which was subsequently rejected by the Constitutional Council, with all members disagreeing with the president leaving the validity of the post and making the post vacant for the first time in the country's history.[8] On 29 November 2023 Deshabandu Tennakoon was appointed acting Inspector General by President Wickremesinghe.[9] He was formally confirmed as Inspector General on 26 February 2024, with the speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane acting unconstitutionally voting which the supreme courts of Sri Lanka suspending Deshabandu acting in post.[10]

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Senior DIG Priyantha Weerasooriya as the Acting Inspector General of Police on 27 September 2024.[11]

Removal

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The Inspector General of Police can be removed through an investigation by a 3-member committee if found guilty of specified offence(s) under the Removal of Officers (Procedure) Act No. 5 of 2002.[12]

Inspectors General of Police

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# Inspector General Took office Left office Appointed by
1 George William Robert Campbell 3 September 1866 1872 Hercules Robinson
2 Frederick Richard Saunders 1872 1873 William Henry Gregory
3 George William Robert Campbell 1873 1891
4 Louis Knollys 1891 1902 Arthur Hamilton-Gordon
5 Albert De Wilton 1902 1905 Joseph West Ridgeway
6 Cyril Longden 1905 1910 Henry Arthur Blake
7 Ivor Edward David 1910 1913 Henry McCallum
8 Herbert Dowbiggin 1913 1937 Robert Chalmers
9 Philip Norton Banks 1937 1942 Reginald Stubbs
10 Gordon Herbert Ramsay Halland 1942 1944 Andrew Caldecott
11 Ranulph Bacon 1944 1946 Henry Monck-Mason Moore
12 Richard Aluwihare 1946 1955
13 Osmund de Silva 26 July 1955 24 April 1959 Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke
14 M. Walter F. Abeykoon 1 May 1959 2 February 1963
15 S. A. Dissanayake 3 February 1963 3 June 1966 William Gopallawa
16 John Attygalle 4 June 1966 7 July 1967
17 Aleric Abeygunawardena 8 July 1967 13 September 1970
18 Stanley Senanayake 14 September 1970 23 August 1978
19 Ana Seneviratne 24 August 1978 14 March 1982 J. R. Jayewardene
20 Rudra Rajasingham 20 March 1982 20 March 1985
21 Herbert Weerasinghe 20 April 1985 5 December 1985
22 Cyril Herath 6 December 1985 31 July 1988
23 Ernest Perera 1 August 1988 29 November 1993 Ranasinghe Premadasa
24 Frank de Silva 29 November 1993 31 July 1995 Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
25 Wickremasinghe Rajaguru 31 July 1995 31 August 1998 Chandrika Kumaratunga
26 Lakdasa Kodituwakku 1 September 1998 27 August 2002
27 T. E. Anandaraja 1 October 2002 14 October 2003
28 Indra de Silva 19 December 2003 30 September 2004
29 Chandra Fernando 1 October 2004 11 October 2006
30 Victor Perera 12 October 2006 31 June 2008 Mahinda Rajapaksa
31 Jayantha Wickramarathne 1 July 2008 2 November 2009
32 Mahinda Balasuriya 3 November 2009 17 June 2011
33 Nugagaha Kapalle Illangakoon 16 July 2011 11 April 2016
34 Pujith Jayasundara 20 April 2016 14 March 2020[N 1] Maithripala Sirisena
35 C. D. Wickramaratne 27 November 2020[N 2] 23 November 2023 Gotabaya Rajapaksa
36 de factoDeshabandu Tennakoon 26 February 2024[N 3] Suspended[13] Ranil Wickramasinghe
37 Priyantha Weerasooriya (Acting) 27 September 2024 Anura Kumara Dissanayake

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ On compulsory leave since April 2019 and formally retired on 14 March 2020
  2. ^ Acting Inspector General from 29 April 2019, appointed as permanent Inspector General on 27 November 2020
  3. ^ Acting Inspector General from 29 November 2023, appointed as permanent Inspector General on 26 February 2024

References

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  1. ^ https://pmd.gov.lk/news/senior-dig-priyantha-weerasooriya-appointed-acting-inspector-general-of-police/
  2. ^ Pippet, G. K. (1969). A History of the Ceylon Police: 1795-1870 (Volume 1). Times of Ceylon Company.
  3. ^ Perera, Rienzie (3 September 2006). "The 140th Police Day Anniversary". Sunday Island. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  4. ^ Dep, A. C. (1969). A History of the Ceylon Police: 1866-1913 (Volume 2). Times of Ceylon Company.
  5. ^ Roth, Mitchell P. (2001). Historical Dictionary of Law Enforcement. Greenwood Press. p. 54. ISBN 0-313-30560-9.
  6. ^ Stead, Philip John (1977). Pioneers in Policing. Patterson Smith. pp. 252–253. ISBN 9780875858036.
  7. ^ "IGP sent on compulsory leave". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Igp's validity in doubt among higher-ups following Constitutional Council's extension rejection - Breaking News | Daily Mirror".
  9. ^ "Deshabandu appointed Acting IGP". 30 November 2023.
  10. ^ Abayasinghe, Shiromi; Sriyantha, Rakshana (26 February 2024). "The New Inspector General of Police is Deshabandu Tennakoon". Dinamina (in Sinhala). Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Priyantha Weerasooriya appointed Acting IGP". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  12. ^ "Pujith Jayasundara sent on compulsory leave". Colombo Gazette. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  13. ^ "SC suspends Deshabandu as IGP". www.dailynews.lk. July 25, 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
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