The Colombo High Court has ruled that Prevention of Terrorism Act charges against five defendants, including Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne alias 'Harak Kata', cannot proceed, though Penal Code charges remain viable.

The Colombo High Court has determined that charges filed under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) against five defendants cannot be sustained in relation to an alleged conspiracy to escape while in custody of the Criminal Investigation Department. The case involved Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, known as "Harak Kata", and four co-defendants who were accused of conspiring to escape during his CID detention.

Judge Buddhika C. Ragala issued the ruling after accepting preliminary objections raised by the defendants' legal representatives, including President's Counsel U.R. de Silva and Attorney-at-Law Jaliya Samarasinghe. The court found that PTA charges could not be legally maintained against the accused in this particular matter.

However, the judgment did not end legal proceedings against the defendants entirely. The court stated that there exists no legal obstacle to proceeding with charges filed under the Penal Code, given the nature of the offences allegedly committed. This means prosecutors may continue pursuing the case under ordinary criminal law provisions rather than terrorism-related statutes.

The decision marks a significant development in the case, as it restricts the scope of charges while keeping the possibility of conviction through different legal provisions open.