Inspector General of Police (Sri Lanka)

Last updated
Inspector General of Police
Flag of the Sri Lanka Police.svg
Flag of the Sri Lanka Police
since 13 August 2025
(Acting: 27 September 2024 – 13 August 2025)
Sri Lanka Police Service
AbbreviationIGP
Member of National Security Council
Reports to Ministry of Law and Order
Nominator President of Sri Lanka
Appointer Constitutional Council
Constituting instrument Police Ordinance, No. 16 of 1865
Precursor Fiscal of Colombo
Formation3 September 1866;158 years ago (1866-09-03)
First holder William Robert Campbell
(as Chief Superintendent of Police)
Deputy Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG)
Website www.police.lk

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.

Contents

History

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. [1] 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. [2]

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. [3] [4] 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. [5]

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. [6]

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. [7] On 29 November 2023 Deshabandu Tennakoon was appointed acting Inspector General by President Wickremesinghe. [8] 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. [9]

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appointed Priyantha Weerasooriya as the 37th Inspector General of Police on 13 August 2025. He had previously served in an acting capacity since 27 September 2024. [10] [11]

Removal

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

No.Inspector GeneralTook officeLeft officeAppointed byRef.
1 George William Robert Campbell 3 September 18661872 Robinson
2 Frederick Richard Saunders 18721873 Gregory
3 George William Robert Campbell 18731891
4 Louis Knollys 18911902 Gordon
5 Albert De Wilton 19021905 Ridgeway
6 Cyril Longden 19051910 Blake
7 Ivor Edward David 19101913 McCallum
8 Herbert Dowbiggin 19131937 Chalmers
9 Philip Norton Banks 19371942 Stubbs
10 Gordon Herbert Ramsay Halland 19421944 Caldecott
11 Ranulph Bacon 19441946 Moore
12 Richard Aluwihare 19461955
13 Osmund de Silva 26 July 195524 April 1959 Goonetilleke
14 M. Walter F. Abeykoon 1 May 19592 February 1963
15 S. A. Dissanayake 3 February 19633 June 1966 Gopallawa
16 John Attygalle 4 June 19667 July 1967
17 Aleric Abeygunawardena 8 July 196713 September 1970
18 Stanley Senanayake 14 September 197023 August 1978
19 Ana Seneviratne 24 August 197814 March 1982 Jayewardene
20 Rudra Rajasingham 20 March 198220 March 1985
21 Herbert Weerasinghe 20 April 19855 December 1985
22 Cyril Herath 6 December 198531 July 1988
23 Ernest Perera 1 August 198829 November 1993 Premadasa
24 Frank de Silva 29 November 199331 July 1995 Wijetunga
25 Wickremasinghe Rajaguru 31 July 199531 August 1998 Kumaratunga
26 Lakdasa Kodituwakku 1 September 199827 August 2002
27 T. E. Anandaraja 1 October 200214 October 2003
28 Indra de Silva 19 December 200330 September 2004
29 Chandra Fernando 1 October 200411 October 2006
30 Victor Perera 12 October 200631 June 2008 M. Rajapaksa
31 Jayantha Wickramarathne 1 July 20082 November 2009
32 Mahinda Balasuriya 3 November 200917 June 2011
33 Nugagaha Kapalle Illangakoon 16 July 201111 April 2016
34 Pujith Jayasundara 20 April 201614 March 2020 [a] Sirisena
35 C. D. Wickramaratne 27 November 2020 [b] 23 November 2023 G. Rajapaksa
36 Deshabandu Tennakoon 26 February 2024 [c] 24 July 2024 (suspended) [d] Wickramasinghe [13]
37 Priyantha Weerasooriya 13 August 2025 [e] Incumbent Dissnayake [11]

See also

Notes

  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
  4. ↑ Suspended from duties on 24 July 2024 and removed from office on 5 August 2025
  5. ↑ Acting Inspector General from 27 September 2024, appointed as permanent Inspector General on 13 August 2025

References

  1. ↑ Pippet, G. K. (1969). A History of the Ceylon Police: 1795-1870 (Volume 1). Times of Ceylon Company.
  2. ↑ Perera, Rienzie (3 September 2006). "The 140th Police Day Anniversary". Sunday Island . Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  3. ↑ Dep, A. C. (1969). A History of the Ceylon Police: 1866-1913 (Volume 2). Times of Ceylon Company.
  4. ↑ Roth, Mitchell P. (2001). Historical Dictionary of Law Enforcement. Greenwood Press. p. 54. ISBN   0-313-30560-9.
  5. ↑ Stead, Philip John (1977). Pioneers in Policing. Patterson Smith. pp. 252–253. ISBN   9780875858036.
  6. ↑ "IGP sent on compulsory leave". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "Igp's validity in doubt among higher-ups following Constitutional Council's extension rejection - Breaking News | Daily Mirror".
  8. ↑ "Deshabandu appointed Acting IGP". 30 November 2023.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ "Priyantha Weerasooriya appointed Acting IGP". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  11. 1 2 "Priyantha Weerasooriya appointed as Sri Lanka's 37th IGP". Ada Derana. 2025-08-13. Archived from the original on 2025-08-13. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  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.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.