Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and brother Riyadh have been arrested by the CID on April 24 for allegedly assisting the terrorists responsible for the deadly April 2019 bombing attacks….reports Asian Lite News
Former Sri Lankan minister Rishad Bathiyudeen and his brother who were arrested by the country’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) would be detained for 90 days under the stiff anti-terrorism law to conduct further probe into their role in the deadly 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, police said.
Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and brother Riyadh have been arrested by the CID on April 24 for allegedly assisting the terrorists responsible for the deadly April 2019 bombing attacks.
“They were arrested after the scrutiny of bank accounts, cheque transactions and communication lines,” news reports quoted senior deputy inspector general and the police spokesman Ajith Rohana as saying.
Rohana said the police investigations had focused on the close contacts of the suicide bombers who carried out the attacks at luxury hotels in Colombo and three churches, according to the report.
On April 21, 2019, Sri Lanka was hit by a series of deadly bombings that killed over 250 people, including 40 foreigners, and injured many more.
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The Islamic State terrorist group has claimed the responsibility for the attacks. More than 100 people have been arrested in connection with the bombings.
Sri Lanka on last Wednesday marked the second anniversary of the Easter Sunday bombings with religious ceremonies, as Catholics called for investigations into the attacks to be expedited.
Catholic churches conducted prayer services after two minutes of silence in remembrance of the 271 people killed in the multiple explosions. Other religious groups held similar events.
A multi-religious remembrance service attended by Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim clergy and diplomats was held at the St Anthony’s Catholic shrine in the capital Colombo – one of the targets of the suicide bombings.
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Heavy security was placed outside churches in Colombo and surrounding areas where the main services were conducted.
Silent protests were held outside churches in some locations demanding speedy investigations into the attacks.
“We are not happy about the investigations,” head of the Catholic church in Sri Lanka, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said, adding that the people need answers about who was responsible and the truth about the motives behind the attacks.
A presidential commission appointed to probe the attacks has concluded its investigation, but Ranjith has claimed that the report fails to fully identify those responsible for the bombings, though it pointed to Islamic extremists groups as the perpetrators.
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