A petition has been filed calling for immediate action against former Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, for his failure to take preventive measures, despite receiving intelligence information regarding the Easter Sunday attacks.

The petition, filed on Thursday by Attorney-at-Law Ermiza Tegal, requested that the case be expedited.

The petition seeks legal steps to be taken against Jayawardena, who has been sent on mandatory leave. The legal counsel argues that there is no obstacle to initiating disciplinary action at the departmental level, as Jayawardena has already been subject to an internal investigation.

The petitioners’ lawyer Tegal further stated that while disciplinary action was ongoing, this should not hinder the pursuit of legal action. The case centers around the failure to act on intelligence reports that could have prevented the devastating attacks.

The Court was also informed by Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara, appearing for the Attorney General’s Department, that a formal criminal investigation into Jayawardena had not been initiated. In response, the petitioner’s counsel argued that if a criminal case was not pursued against him, it would undermine the legal process. The Court was urged to reconsider any decision not to proceed with the case against the former official, as this could potentially affect the broader investigation into the tragic Easter Sunday attacks.

The petition has drawn attention to the failure of key police officers, including former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, in their duties related to preventing the attacks. It was noted that Nilantha Jayawardena had been named as a witness in a case involving those senior officials.

By A J A Abeynayake ✍️