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Easter Sunday carnage: Campaigners for justice ask govt. to have suicide bomber’s wife extradited
A Catholic Church–backed organisation, Just for Justice, has called on the government to immediately fast-track the extradition of Pulasthini Mahendran, also known as Sarah Jasmine, who has been linked to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Addressing a press conference at the Centre for Society and Religion in Maradana last week, Fr. Rohan Silva said Mahendran should be brought back to Sri Lanka without delay to enable investigators to uncover the identities of those who masterminded the attacks, which claimed the lives of more than 275 people and injured more than 500.
Mahendran, who now reportedly goes by the name Sarah Jasmine, is the wife of Atchchi Muhammadu Muhammadu Hastun, one of the suicide bombers who attacked St. Sebastian’s Church, in Katuwapitiya, in April 2019.
Fr. Silva referred to a recent statement made by Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala, in Parliament, that information uncovered during investigations indicated that Mahendran was not dead. The Minister also told Parliament that there was no indication she was currently in India, but added that the government could secure her extradition if the need arose.
“We tell the Minister and the government that there is an urgent need,” Fr. Silva said. “She must be brought back so that investigators can obtain details about the masterminds of the attacks.”
According to Fr. Silva, repeated efforts had been made to obstruct investigations by promoting the claim that Mahendran died in a suicide blast at a safe house in Sainthamaruthu on April 26, 2019, days after the Easter attacks, despite what he described as evidence suggesting otherwise.
Initial reports stated that 16 people were killed in the Sainthamaruthu explosion. However, the figure was later revised to 17 when police reported the incident to court on April 30, 2019, and informed the media that Mahendran was among the dead.
“It is our belief that those who masterminded and orchestrated the terror attacks wanted to remove Jasmine to prevent evidence being extracted from her,” Fr. Silva said. He added that there had long been suspicions that she was alive and had been taken to India or another country.
Fr. Silva questioned the government’s commitment to uncovering the truth, noting that despite the Minister’s statement in Parliament, no steps had been taken to bring Mahendran back.
“We have doubts whether this delay is due to conflicts of interest among investigators or those who direct them,” he said. “This government came to power promising impartial and expedited investigations into the Easter attacks and justice for the victims. Now, 81 weeks have passed, and we demand that the government deliver on those promises.”
by Norman Palihawadane
A sum of LKR. 9,687,462, raised from day’s salary officers of the Police Department, has been donated to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, established to support the recovery of communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah and to assist in rebuilding the country following the disaster.
To date, officers of the Police Department have contributed over LKR. 74 million to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund through three such contributions of one day’s salary.
The donation was presented on Wednesday (22) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat by the Personal Assistant to the Inspector General of Police, Senior Superintendent of Police C. C. Bamunuarachchi, to the Secretary to the President, Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Chief Inspector Udaya Kumara, Officer-in-Charge of the Police Secretariat, was also present on the occasion.
[Presidents Media Division]
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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, and Eastern provinces and in Monaragala district during the day time
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Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate the illegal diversion of Treasury funds, amounting to US$2.5 million to a third-party account.
Premadasa has said both the chairmanship and a majority of the Committee’s membership should be held by the Opposition to ensure impartiality.
The government has not only failed to account for the loss of US$2.5 million but also deliberately withheld information from Parliament, the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) and the public, Premadasa has told the media, accusing the ruling party of seeking to deflect responsibility by initiating an internal departmental inquiry, which he describes as a biased process designed to justify predetermined conclusions.
The Opposition Leader has said only a transparent and independent probe could establish the facts, adding that such an investigation could be effectively carried out through a Parliamentary Select Committee led by the Opposition.
He has also warned that the alleged failure to inform Parliament about the missing funds amounted to a serious breach of accountability.
Police officers donate LKR 9,687,462 from day’s salary to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, and Eastern provinces and in Monaragala district during the day time
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