Inspector General of Police
Incumbent
vacant[1]
since 9 October 2023
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 (1866-09-03)
First holderWilliam Robert Campbell
(as Chief Superintendent of Police)
DeputySenior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG)
Websitewww.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.

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.[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]

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.[10]

Inspectors General of Police

# Inspector General Took office Left office Appointed by
1George William Robert Campbell3 September 18661872Hercules Robinson
2Frederick Richard Saunders18721873William Henry Gregory
3George William Robert Campbell18731891
4Louis Knollys18911902Arthur Hamilton-Gordon
5Albert De Wilton19021905Joseph West Ridgeway
6Cyril Longden19051910Henry Arthur Blake
7Ivor Edward David19101913Henry McCallum
8Herbert Dowbiggin19131937Robert Chalmers
9Philip Norton Banks19371942Reginald Stubbs
10Gordon Herbert Ramsay Halland19421944Andrew Caldecott
11Ranulph Bacon19441946Henry Monck-Mason Moore
12Richard Aluwihare19461955
13Osmund de Silva26 July 195524 April 1959Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke
14M. Walter F. Abeykoon1 May 19592 February 1963
15S. A. Dissanayake3 February 19633 June 1966William Gopallawa
16John Attygalle4 June 19667 July 1967
17Aleric Abeygunawardena8 July 196713 September 1970
18Stanley Senanayake14 September 197023 August 1978
19Ana Seneviratne24 August 197814 March 1982J. R. Jayewardene
20Rudra Rajasingham20 March 198220 March 1985
21Herbert Weerasinghe20 April 19855 December 1985
22Cyril Herath6 December 198531 July 1988
23Ernest Perera1 August 198829 November 1993Ranasinghe Premadasa
24Frank de Silva29 November 199331 July 1995Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
25Wickremasinghe Rajaguru31 July 199531 August 1998Chandrika Kumaratunga
26Lakdasa Kodituwakku1 September 199827 August 2002
27T. E. Anandaraja1 October 200214 October 2003
28Indra de Silva19 December 200330 September 2004
29Chandra Fernando1 October 200411 October 2006
30Victor Perera12 October 200631 June 2008Mahinda Rajapaksa
31Jayantha Wickramarathne1 July 20082 November 2009
32Mahinda Balasuriya3 November 200917 June 2011
33Nugagaha Kapalle Illangakoon16 July 201111 April 2016
34Pujith Jayasundara20 April 201614 March 2020[N 1]Maithripala Sirisena
35C. D. Wickramaratne27 November 2020[N 2]23 November 2023Gotabaya Rajapaksa
36Deshabandu Tennakoon29 November 2023presentRanil Wickramasinghe

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ On compulsory leave since April 2019
  2. ↑ Acting Inspector General since 29 April 2019

References

  1. ↑ "Igp's validity in doubt among higher-ups following Constitutional Council's extension rejection - Breaking News | Daily Mirror".
  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. ↑ "Pujith Jayasundara sent on compulsory leave". Colombo Gazette. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
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