Colombo, February 25 Suresh Sallay, a former head of Sri Lanka's state intelligence service, was arrested on 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, a senior deputy inspector general, told reporters.
The 2019 Easter Sunday bombings killed 270 people, including Indians, at Colombo's five-star hotels.
Sallay headed the state intelligence service under the then Mahinda Rajapaksa government prior to 2015. He was arrested based on the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attack, Madawatta said.
"Extensive investigations will be conducted after his arrest, and the details will only be released later," he added.
His questioning is expected to lead to the exposure of the mastermind behind the suicide bombings that devastated churches and five-star hotels, police said.
The attack, carried out by a local jihadi group, was rumored to have taken place with prior knowledge of the local defense 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.
