Court Petition Targets Former Intelligence Chief Over Easter Sunday Attacks

COLOMBO (News 1st): A writ petition was filed in the Court of Appeal, urging legal action against the former head of the State Intelligence Service, Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena. 

The petition seeks orders to be directed at the respondents, including the Inspector General of Police, to take action against the SDIG, in connection with the Easter Sunday Terror Attacks.

The petition was filed by Rev. Fr. Rohan Silva, the Centre for Society & Religion, and Suraj Nilanga.

The Inspector General of Police, along with Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena and the Attorney General, have been named as respondents in this legal proceeding.

The Supreme Court previously ruled that Nilantha Jayawardena bore responsibility for failing to prevent the brutal attack on Easter Sunday. The petition  calls for an order directing the Inspector General of Police to initiate a criminal investigation against Jayawardena.

The petition pointed out that the cases filed with the Supreme Court, and the High Court, as well as the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter attack highlighted the dereliction of duty by the former Inspector General of Police and the former Defense Secretary, alongside Jayawardene.

The petition goes on to note that on April 21st, 2019, bomb explosions rocked several locations in Sri Lanka, and intelligence information received from two foreign informants in April 2019 revealed prior knowledge about Saharan Hashim and other perpetrators involved in the Easter attack. 

The application also noted that the devastating blasts resulted in the loss of 267 lives and left over 400 people seriously injured.

The petitioners insist that Nilantha Jayawardena be held criminally responsible for this attack, and emphasizes the need to conduct an investigation, arrest him, and produce him in a court of law.