Colombo: Sri Lanka’s former state intelligence service chief Suresh Sallay was arrested Wednesday, in connection with the 2019 Easter bombings that killed 270 people, police said.
Sallay, a retired Major General, will be detained for 72 hours for questioning under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, Sanjeewa Madawatta, senior deputy inspector general, told reporters.
The 2019 Easter Sunday bombings killed 270 people, including Indians, at Colombo five star hotels.
Sallay headed the state intelligence service under the then Mahinda Rajapaksa government prior to 2015. He was arrested based on the investigations thus far on the 2019 Easter Sunday attack, Madawatta said.
There will be extensive investigations upon his arrest, and the details could only be released later, he added.
His questioning should lead to the exposure of the mastermind of the suicide bombing,s which devastated churches and five-star hotels, police said.
The attack carried out by a local jihadi group was rumoured to have taken place with prior information to the local defence establishment.
The then government, led by President Maithripala Sirisena, was accused of inaction to prevent the attacks despite intelligence shared by India.
Sallay was serving in a diplomatic position overseas when the attack took place.
The current National People’s Power (NPP) government reopened the Easter terror attack investigations in late 2024, stating that political influence had earlier led to a cover-up.
