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Intervenient-petitioner alleges those who caused terrorism behind ex-SIS chief Sallay’s arrest

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2 months ago

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Attorney-at-law Manoli Jinadasa told the Court of Appeal that her client Dr. Kumara Kaluarachchi, head, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University, believed that retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay, former head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), had been targeted by the very elements responsible for terrorism in Sri Lanka.

Appearing on behalf of Intervenient-Petitioner Dr. Kaluarachchi in Sallay’s petition against his arrest under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Jinadasa said that the academic considered it was his moral duty to voice his concern and protest against the unlawful detention of a retired senior military officer who was the backbone of intelligence apparatus and had helped eradicate terrorism both in the North and in the South.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Sallay in late February this year. The respondents are IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya, CID Director Shani Abeysekera, Chief Inspector Madhawa Gunawardana, Attorney General, Public Security Secretary retired SDIG Ravi Senevirathna, Rev. Father. Rohan de Silva, SDIG Asanka Karawita and the Fort Magistrate.

Dr. Kaluarachchi, through his Attorney, emphasised a citizen’s right to ensure due process and rule of law and thus a safe environment and reasonable apprehension of a creation of an unhealthy precedent which directly and materially affects his own security and safety.

Pointing out that Sallay had been detained under section 09 the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No 48 of 1979 (as amended) which provides for the Minister in charge of Defence (and not the judiciary) to order the detention of a citizen and, thereafter, determine the continuation of the detention, Jinadasa alleged that the PTA completely contravened and undermined the constitutional guarantees to which a citizen is rightfully entitled, especially the right that an arrest and detention of a citizen should be subject to judicial supervision.

She said: “In a nutshell, the PTA Act clips the wings of the guardian angels of the citizen, the independent branch of government – the Judiciary, which exercises peoples’ power to safeguard their rights in keeping with the principles of justice and fair play.”

Jinadasa questioned whether there was any justification to activate PTA, more so as the arrest of the petitioner Sallay, if at all, could have been done under the Criminal Procedure Code, which has provision for the arrest and detention of a person who has allegedly committed any offence under any other Act or Law including the PTA.

She explained that the intention of the legislation was to resort to this Act at times when the safety of the public was “actively” being placed in peril. The repeated use of the word “Prevent” is important. One cannot prevent a past threat or situation. One can only “prevent” a current or future act of terrorism. Therefore the powers of section 9 which derogate the constitutional rights of a citizen to judicial supervision and discretion in the matters relating to arrests and detention, can be exercised only if there is a current or imminent danger to public safety, she said.

The Court of Appeal was told that another Intervenient Petitioner Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, had admitted in Court, that the reason for the detention was a British Channel 4 documentary in which a person named Azad Maulana claimed that Sallay had met him and discussed the Easter Sunday bombings. Maulana was a fugitive against whom an arrest warrant had been issued, the court was told. The time period cited by him had proved to be false as the petitioner was not in the country at the time.


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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

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3 hours ago

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2026/10/5

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Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

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Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

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3 hours ago

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2026/10/5

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The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

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Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

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3 hours ago

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2026/10/5

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A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.

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