IGP Pujith Jayasundara has withdrawn his order to transfer senior CID officer IP Nishantha Silva to the Negombo Police Division, following a swift intervention by the National Police Commission.

The Police Commission, in a strongly-worded letter to the Police chief, has asked for the reasons behind Silva's sudden transfer. Silva is the CID officer who leads several high-profile investigations including the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunga and the killings of eleven youth by a Navy-affiliated gang. 

As a result of the Police Commission's move, the IGP has withdrawn his order issuing a backdated letter, allowing the senior officer to remain at the CID. 

Multiple parties have written to the Police Commission against the transfer of Silva describing it amounted to a political witch-hunt. 

The move came in the wake of initial steps taken by Silva to arrest Chief of Defence Staff Ravindra Wijegunaratne in connection with the abductions and killings of eleven youth by a Navy affiliated gang, led by Chandana Hettiarachchi alias 'Navy Sampath'.