Colombo, March 26 Suresh Sallay, the former head of the state intelligence service, who was named as the third suspect in the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks investigation, was ordered to appear in a Sri Lankan court next month.
Sallay was arrested on February 25 and is currently being detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, allowing authorities to question him in an effort to identify the mastermind behind the suicide bombings that targeted churches and five-star hotels.
On April 21, 2019, over 270 people, including 11 Indians, were killed when suicide bombers from the local Islamist extremist group, National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ), linked to ISIS, carried out a series of blasts that targeted three churches and as many luxury hotels on Easter Sunday.
Since his detention, visits by his closest family members have been restricted, as he is being held by the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) under a 90-day detention order under the counter-terrorism act.
On Wednesday, he was admitted to the national hospital for a few hours for medical treatment before being returned to the CID.
The attack by the jihadi group was rumored to have taken place with prior knowledge of the local defense establishment. The then government was accused of inaction to prevent the 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 reopened the Easter Sunday investigation in late 2024, claiming that political influence had led to the cover-up.