The Supreme Court in Sri Lanka today denied permission to release the former army Chiefl Sarath Fonseka from military custody but allowed access to him to his immediate family and lawyers.<br/><br/>This followed the hearing of the Fundamental Rights petition filed by him through his wife Anoma Fonseka.<br/><br/>The Supreme Court Bench comprising Actg. Chief Justice Shiranee Bandaranayake and Justices Jagatha Balapatabendi and K Sripavan examined the petition.<br/><br/>The petitioners, wife of the General, Anoma Fonseka, and Attorney at law Sharmila Perera in their petition claimed that the retired General was forcibly and wrongly arrested under the military laws when he is now not in Army service, and requested the Court to release him.<br/><br/>Further hearing will take place on 26th April, 2010.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the military spokesperson Major General Prasad Samarasinghe told AIR/DD that ‘evidence from more than 20 people have been taken in the case of Sarath Fonseka and the army would ‘soon’ be ready with the ‘summary of evidence’ on which basis the decision to court martial the former Army Chief will be taken by the present Commander of the Sri Lankan Army.