Fail to Appear in Court? Your Property Could Be Seized

COLOMBO (News 1st); Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasuriya has issued a directive to all police officers, instructing them to seek court orders for the seizure of movable and immovable property belonging to individuals with open warrants who fail to appear in court within 30 days.

The directive, issued through a special circular, emphasizes the need to act in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Acting IGP Weerasuriya stated that if an individual with an open warrant does not appear before the court within the specified period, police officers must apply for an order to seize the individual's property.

The circular also outlines that if the individual appears before the court within one year from the date of property seizure, the property or the proceeds from its sale must be returned to them.

All police station heads are required to follow these instructions, and senior police officers are tasked with overseeing the implementation of these measures.