Daily Hospital Visits Requested by Wife and Lawyer in Suresh Sallay Case

The wife and legal counsel of former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay have formally requested permission from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to visit him daily while he undergoes treatment at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) in Colombo.

These appeals were submitted separately to the CID Director after a recent court decision declined to grant such visitation rights.

Sallay, who is currently held under a detention order in connection with investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks, remains in CID custody while receiving medical care.

When the matter was heard before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court, lawyers representing Sallay sought approval for his wife and son to visit him during hospital visiting hours. However, Magistrate Pasan Amarasekara ruled that the court lacked the authority to issue such an order, citing that the detention falls under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Following this ruling, Sallay’s wife directly appealed to the CID seeking daily access. His attorney, Asith Siriwardena, also submitted a separate request, emphasizing the importance of regular contact to monitor his client’s health, ensure his legal rights are protected, and update the court on developments. He further noted that such communication is especially critical as Sallay is reportedly on a hunger strike.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal has postponed hearing of a writ petition filed by Sallay, which challenges the legality of the detention order issued under the PTA. The case has been deferred until July 10.

During proceedings, President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena presented submissions related to the spread of extremist ideology in Sri Lanka. He highlighted intelligence findings indicating that dozens of Sri Lankans had travelled abroad to join extremist groups, referencing statements previously made in Parliament.

The counsel also raised concerns over alleged shortcomings in past investigations, claiming that authorities had failed to act adequately on intelligence warnings, including information shared prior to the Easter Sunday attacks. He pointed to multiple intelligence reports and lists of individuals suspected of extremist links that were reportedly not fully investigated.

Additionally, it was argued that no official inquiry or commission report has directly implicated Sallay in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks. Reference was also made to recommendations by a previous investigative committee calling for legal action against certain officials over failures to prevent the attacks.

Separately, victims of the bombing at St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya staged a silent protest near Negombo, urging authorities to conduct an impartial investigation and avoid interference in the ongoing probe.