Outgoing HR Chief says missing girl’s mother never mentioned Zahran

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) said Rajaratnam Kavitha, mother of P. Pulasthini (24) wife of Thowheed Jamaat suicide bomber Atchchi Muhammadu Hastun hadn’t informed the HRCSL Office in Batticaloa of Zahran Hashim’s involvement in the disappearance of her daughter.

Outgoing HRCSL Chairperson Dr. Deepika Udagama told The Island that there hadn’t been any reference to Zahran when Kavitha visited the Regional Office on April 17, 2019, four days before the Easter attacks.

Dr. Udagama was responding to The Island query whether the Regional Office informed Colombo of receiving a complaint as regards the missing young woman. The Island raised the issue with Dr. Udagama in the wake of Kavitha‘s testimony before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) in late last month.

Kavitha said that she visited the HRCSL Regional Office in Batticaloa after the Kaluwanchikudy and Kattankudy Police stations declined to accept her complaints. Kavitha said: I informed an officer there that I had found out my daughter was with Zahran. At that moment he said he knew Zahran and that there was nothing to be scared of since Zahran was a normal person.” Kavitha also quoted the HRCSL official as having said there was no need to lodge a complaint and that he would look into the matter.

The PCoI was told that Pulasthini fled to India following the blast. Intelligence services are in the process of verifying controversial testimony before the PCoI. However, authorities are yet to reach a conclusion on Pulasthini’s whereabouts against the backdrop of initial reports she perished in

Sainthamaruthu blast that claimed the lives of several Thowheed Jamaat cadres.

Q: Did HRCSL receive a complaint in this regard or any information regarding Kavitha’s visit to HRCSL Regional Office?

A: We obtained a detailed report on the matter from our Batticaloa Regional Office. It also includes the log entry relating to the visit of Ms. Kavitha to the Regional Office on 17 April, 2020. According to our records, one Ms. Kavitha of Mankadu, Cettipalayam had visited our Batticaloa Regional Office on 17 April, 2019 accompanied by a male. Her complaint was that her daughter P. Pulasthini (age 24) had gone away with a young man from the Muslim community and had married him in 2015, and that her whereabouts were not known. She had appealed to the HRCSL to assist in finding her. As the matter was of a private nature, our officer had informed Ms. Kavitha that it did not fall within the HRCSL’s statutory mandate. Ms. Kavitha had been advised to seek the assistance of the police to find her daughter. At that point the mother had not informed of any attempts to complain to the police or of any inaction on the part of the police. If that were the case the complaint would have been registered.

In her complaint Ms. Kavitha had stated that one Razik from a Muslim organization was having influence over her daughter’s family life. There had been no mention of a Zahran. In fact, as a gesture of assistance our officer had called a telephone number provided by Ms. Kavitha which was said to be that of Razik. He had denied knowledge of Pulasthini’s whereabouts and had mentioned that the parents had complained to Maligawatta police station about the matter and that the police including CID had questioned him in that regard. As there was nothing out of the ordinary about the complaint, the HRCSL Colombo had not been informed. That is the regular procedure.

Q: Did PCoI ask HRCSL personnel to appear before it? And if not, will you be inquiring into this (in the wake of PCoI revelation.

A: No, we have not been summoned by the PCoI. The records from our Batticaloa office, in our opinion, do not give rise to any issue that requires further investigation.

Q: Did HRCSL inquire into Easter Sunday tragedy or receive complaints as regards the government’s failure to thwart the carnage?

A: Even in the absence of a complaint, the HRCSL could investigate this matter on its own initiative (per S.14 of HRCSL Act, No 21 of 1996). However, we are aware that the same issue is being canvassed before the Supreme Court via FR petition by at least one aggrieved party. When a matter is canvassed before the Supreme Court in a FR application, the Commission does not conduct a parallel inquiry. The decision of the SC is binding on all parties.

Pulasthini’s husband carried out the attack on St. Sebastian church, Katuwapitiya where over 100 people perished.

Dr. Udagama confirmed the announcement made by the Constitutional Council on Monday (3) regarding her decision to quit the post. Head of Department of Law Faculty of University of Peradeniya, Dr. Udagama received the appointment in Oct 2015.

The Constitutional Council said that Dr. Udagama tendered her resignation from the post of chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka with effect from September 2020.

The CC Chairman informed the Constitutional Council that the Human Rights Commission was rated as one of the best in the world and that he would like to convey the appreciation to its Chairman Dr Udagama and the members of the commission for the exceptional achievement.