Colombo : Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay, former head of Sri Lanka’s State Intelligence Services (SIS), was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, The Daily Mirror Online reported.
Police spokesperson ASP F.U. Wootler confirmed that Sallay was taken into custody early this morning in Peliyagoda by officers from the country’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
On April 21, 2019, eight coordinated explosions shook the Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo, Kochchikade, and Batticaloa. The attacks targeted three churches and three luxury hotels during Easter Sunday celebrations, killing 279 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500. The bombings also severely impacted Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, a key part of the nation’s economy.
According to Al Jazeera, Sallay, who was appointed SIS chief in 2019 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed the presidency, has faced allegations of involvement in planning the attacks, which he has denied.
British broadcaster Channel 4 reported in 2023 that Sallay had connections with the attackers and had met them prior to the bombings. A whistleblower claimed that he allowed the attacks to proceed to influence the 2019 presidential election in Rajapaksa’s favor. Two days after the attacks, Rajapaksa announced his candidacy and later won the November election.
In 2023, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court held former President Maithripala Sirisena and four senior officials responsible for failing to prevent the attacks. Sirisena was ordered to pay USD 273,300 in compensation to victims’ families, while the then police chief, two senior intelligence officers, and the Ministry of Defence secretary were jointly ordered to pay USD 574,000.
The United Nations has also urged Sri Lanka to release parts of previous investigations into the attacks that were not made public, highlighting ongoing concerns about accountability.
Sallay’s arrest marks a significant development in the long-running investigation into one of Sri Lanka’s deadliest terrorist attacks.