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Rishad’s brother helped Zahran escape to India, says former Army Commander citing DMI
By Rathindra Kuruwita
In 2018, former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen’s brother had helped National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) Leader Zahran Hashim flee to India, Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) said at an Intelligence Review Meeting (IRM), former Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake on Wednesday told the PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks.
The Army Commander said he had come to know about Zahran when he was serving as the Jaffna Commander.
“DMI informed me of Zahran Hashim when I was in Jaffna. That’s why I said Military Intelligence had the capacity to find
more on NTJ and its leader,” he said.
Senanayake added that politics of that era had created problems between the Police and the Army. IGP Pujith Jayasundara, CID SDIG Ravi Seneviratne, TID DIG Waruna Jayasundera, Director of SIS Nilantha Jayawardena, and CNI Sisira Mendis had not given priority to intelligence shared by the DMI.