Promotion to DIG Doesn’t Mean Shani Abeysekara Must Step Down as CID Chief

Acting on an order from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) issued an official police message this evening promoting Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shani Abeysekara to the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG), effective from August 25, 2020.

Following this development, media reports emerged claiming that Mr. Abeysekara would step down from his post as Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from tomorrow.

However, internal police sources indicate that his elevation to the rank of Deputy Inspector General poses no obstacle to him continuing to function as the head of the CID.

A retired senior police officer noted that while Senior Superintendents of Police typically head the CID, Deputy Inspectors General have also held the top post in the past.

Accordingly, there is a possibility that Shani Abeysekara could be appointed as the Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department in the near future.