The Court of Appeal on Wednesday (15) dismissed the writ petition filed against All Ceylon Makkal Congress leader and MP Rishad Bathiudeen over allegations of deforestation in the Vilachikulam reserved forest area of the Wilpattu forest.
The court ruled that the case, filed in 2018, was dismissed due to the petitioners’ failure to pursue it further over the past seven years.
The petition, filed by senior journalist Malinda Seneviratne and senior lawyer Nagalandha Kodithuwakku, sought to halt alleged efforts by former minister Rishad Bathiudeen and his brother Riyaj Bathiudeen to establish settlements on 650 acres of land within the forest reserve to resettle families displaced from the North.
During the proceedings, senior lawyer Hejaz Hizbullah and lawyer Shifan Mahroof appeared on behalf of MP Bathiudeen. The case had previously drawn wide public attention amid racially charged campaigns targeting the Muslim community linked to the Wilpattu issue.
