Former Sri Lankan intelligence chief Suresh Sallay is set to appear in court as a suspect in the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, reigniting investigations into the devastating bombings.
Key Points
- Suresh Sallay, former head of Sri Lanka's state intelligence, is ordered to appear in court as a suspect in the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
- Sallay is detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act to assist in tracking down the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday suicide bombings.
- The 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, claimed by the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS, killed over 270 people.
- The current Sri Lankan government reopened the Easter Sunday investigations in late 2024, alleging a political cover-up.
Suresh Sallay, the former head of the state intelligence service named as the third suspect in the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks probe, was on Thursday ordered to be produced in a Sri Lankan court next month.
Sallay was arrested on February 25 and is currently under detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for enabling the authorities to question him in a bid to track down the mastermind of the suicide bombings which devastated churches and five star hotels.
On April 21, 2019, over 270 people, including 11 Indians, were killed when suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels in the island nation on Easter Sunday.
Since his detention, visits by his closest family have been restricted as Sally is being held by the police's CID on a 90-day detention order under the counter terrorism act.
On Wednesday, he was admitted at the national hospital for medical treatment for a few hours before being returned to the CID.
The attack carried out by the jihadi group was rumored to have taken place with prior information of the local defence establishment. The then government was accused of inaction to prevent attacks despite intelligence sharing by India on the impending attack.
Sallay, a retired Major General, headed the state intelligence service under the Rajapaksa government prior to 2015.
The current National People's Power (NPP) government in late 2024 reopened the Easter Sunday investigations claiming that political influence had led to its cover-up.
