Pillayan to appear before CID in ongoing Easter Sunday bombings investigation

Former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (also known as Sivanesathurai Santhirakanthan or “Pillayan”) is scheduled to appear at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today (November 12) as part of ongoing inquiries into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.

According to Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa, Pillayan is expected at the CID headquarters at 9:30 AM to provide a statement.

This development follows the CID’s recent probe into a documentary aired by Britain’s Channel 4 on September 6, 2023, titled “Sri Lanka’s Easter Bombings”.

The documentary includes statements from Hanzeer Azad Maulana, a former member of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), a party led by Pillayan, who implicates alleged conspiracies tied to the bombings.

The investigation was initiated following a formal complaint from an external organization submitted to the Ministry of Public Security, which was subsequently forwarded to Police Headquarters and assigned to the CID.

Officials report that the inquiry involves potential violations under the Penal Code related to the dissemination of sensitive information about the bombings.

The case has also been presented to the Fort Magistrate’s Court as of November 11, 2024.