COLOMBO, March 20, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Sri Lanka's police chief was denied bail Thursday after going on the run over a deadly illegal raid and facing accusations of being a crime boss.

Deshabandu Tennakoon turned himself in on Wednesday, after being in hiding for nearly three weeks to evade a warrant for his arrest.

Magistrate Aruna Buddhadasa ordered he be held in custody until April 3, when the case will be heard again, at the urging of state prosecutor Dileepa Peeris.

"Earlier, I had said Tennakoon was not suitable to be even a constable. Today, I apologise to all constables," Peeris told the magistrate on Wednesday.

"What I want to say is that he is... the head of a criminal network."

Peeris noted that more than 1,000 bottles of alcohol and more than 100 Christmas hampers had been found in Tennakoon's private home during a search on Tuesday.

Tennakoon's lawyers asked the magistrate to order extra security for him in prison, a request that was granted.

Tennakoon stands accused of authorising an ill-fated drug bust in 2023, allegedly against internal regulations, that sparked a gun battle between competing police units in the southern coastal resort town of Weligama. 

One police officer was killed and another critically wounded in the incident, and no drugs were found.

Tennakoon was appointed police chief in November 2023, but the move was challenged in the Supreme Court, which suspended him last July pending the outcome of a separate case.

He was given the top job despite Sri Lanka's highest court ruling that he had tortured a suspect in custody by rubbing menthol balm on his genitals.

The Supreme Court ordered Tennakoon to pay half a million rupees ($1,600) in compensation to the victim, but the government at the time ignored judicial orders to take disciplinary action against him.