Sri Lanka sacks high-ranking police officer over Easter Sunday bombings
Nilantha Jayawardena, who previously served as the head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), was placed on compulsory leave by the National Police Commission (NPC) in July 2024, pending an internal investigation.
Following the conclusion of the inquiry, the NPC decided to dismiss Jayawardena from service.
'It was decided at the meeting of the police commission held on July 17 to order the immediate dismissal from police service of the senior deputy inspector general of police, Nilantha Jayawardena," the NCP said in a statement.
About 270 people, including 11 Indians, were killed as suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat, linked to ISIS, carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday in 2019.
On March 21, 2024, the police commission decided to conduct a disciplinary inquiry against Jayawardena for his negligence of duty, which led to the Easter Sunday attack.
The report of the disciplinary investigation was received by the police commission two weeks ago.
The commission ruled that Jayawardena was guilty of all the counts in the chargesheet served on him.
Jayawardena becomes the most senior police officer to be found guilty of dereliction of duty.
He was ordered to pay a 75 million rupee fine as compensation to the victims.
The Supreme Court in 2023 ruled that former President Maithripala Sirisena, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former National Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis and former SIS Chief Jayawardena had violated the Fundamental Rights of the petitioners by failing to act on prior intelligence that could have prevented the attacks.
The then president Sirisena was ordered to pay 100 million to the relatives of the victims.
The attack became a political issue in the country, with the then rulers, the Rajapaksa family, being accused of using the attack to regain power.
The Catholic church, unimpressed by the police investigations, called for international investigations to bring justice to the families of victims. PTI Corr NSA NSA
view comments
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Detention of nuns: Catholics hold protest rally in Mysuru
Mysuru: Members of the Catholic community from Mandya, Chamarajanagar, and Mysuru districts held a peaceful protest rally accusing the Chhattisgarh govt of illegally detaining two Christian sisters in Durg, Chhattisgarh. The rally was inaugurated by Rev. Msgr. Thomas Thennatil, Vicar General of Mandya Diocese, at the premises of Infant Jesus Cathedral in Hinkal. The march proceeded up to the Hinkal Junction on the Ring Road. Addressing the gathering, Rev. Msgr. Thennatil stated that while the sisters were granted bail, they must be fully acquitted of all charges. He also urged the govt to uphold the constitutional rights of minority communities and ensure their protection. Fr. Sojan Aikarakunnel and Fr. Augustin Paiampally spoke at the event, expressing solidarity with the detained sisters and calling for justice. Fr. Amal John Edathil inaugurated the mass signature campaign, which will be sent to the Chhattisgarh govt, said KL Joseph Kongattukunnel, Tomy Joseph Parekkattil, and Joseph Thomas Mamparambil-trustees of the Cathedral. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Grandnephew's engagement brings Pawar family together
Mumbai: Political differences and feuds notwithstanding, the Pawar clan on Sunday bonded together at the engagement ceremony of patriarch Sharad Pawar's grandnephew Yugendra Pawar. The private ceremony was held at the residence of Yugendra Pawar's fiancée, Tanishka Kulkarni, in Mumbai. Yugendra is the son of deputy chief minister and NCP head Ajit Pawar 's younger brother Shrinivas. Families of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, his cousin Supriya Sule, along with her husband and two children, attended the engagement function to bless the couple. Ajit Pawar's rebellion in 2023, which split the NCP, had raised questions over the familial ties. In the 2024 assembly elections, Yugendra was defeated by his uncle Ajit Pawar from the Baramati constituency. PTI Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
An unravelling: On the Malegaon acquittals
The 2008 Malegaon blast, killing six and injuring 95 others, during Ramzan, was an extreme act of terror. The initial investigation by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) posited a chilling conspiracy by Hindutva extremists to exact revenge through a 'blast for a blast', emulating the polarising methods of Islamist terror groups. This narrative seemed solidified by circumstantial evidence, including electronic transcripts of secret meetings and a confession by Sangh Parivar activist Aseemanand. The case was politically fraught from the start. The ATS investigation was a pivotal moment, as it sought to identify perpetrators irrespective of religion, especially after Muslim youth were wrongly charged and later acquitted in the 2006 Malegaon blasts. However, this unbiased approach appeared to falter with the consolidation of Hindutva political power. After the case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the agency filed a supplementary charge sheet. Amid allegations that the NIA was under pressure to be lenient, a Special Court rightly ruled in 2018 that a full trial was the best course. Seventeen years later, the final acquittal of all accused, including Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit and Pragya Singh Thakur, leaves a profound sense of unease. Far from refuting the existence of Hindutva-led extremism, the judgment is an indictment of the prosecution's methods and a reminder of how justice can be undone. The court exposed a foundation of unreliable evidence, noting that key witnesses turned hostile, alleging coercion by the ATS — a claim also noted by the NIA. The explosive electronic transcripts were deemed inadmissible for failing to meet mandatory legal safeguards against tampering. The court also rejected the defence of Purohit, who argued that he was a military intelligence officer infiltrating the group, but acquitted him as the evidence failed to meet what it saw as the legal standard for a conviction. The political circumstances suggest a consistent attempt to reframe the alleged acts of terror not as criminal, but with a communal narrative. In 2019, while still under trial for grave terror charges, Pragya Thakur was fielded as a parliamentary candidate by the Bharatiya Janata Party and won from Bhopal. Her political elevation as a Hindutva icon was precisely because of her purported role in fomenting retaliatory attacks against Muslims. Her subsequent career, marked by an endorsement of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin, Nathuram Godse, has only confirmed the dangerous mainstreaming of extremist voices. The acquittal lays bare the unsettling reality that when state agencies fail, extremist organisations can get away with heinous crimes. Terror has no single religious face and, without a competent and scrupulous policing, prosecution and justice system, its perpetrators, whoever they may be, can walk free.
