Whose need was it to conduct a third DNA test to declare Sara Jasmin dead, when it had already been confirmed twice that she was alive?

Fort Magistrate Isuru Nettikumara yesterday (11) ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to submit a full report to the court regarding the instructions given to conduct a third DNA test on Pulastini Mahendran alias Sara Jesmin, who is suspected to be connected to the series of terrorist attacks launched on Easter Sunday, despite two DNA tests having already confirmed that she did not die in the explosion that occurred in a house in the Sainthamaruthu area on April 26, 2019.

The Magistrate pointed out that if the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered this third DNA test to be conducted at a Security Council meeting in 2022 with the intention of misleading the investigation, then it is entirely illegal, but if it was done to put the investigation on the right track, then there is no problem.

Furthermore, the Magistrate further instructed to report to the court on who should bear the criminal responsibility if the order given to conduct the third DNA test is a wrongful act. These facts were revealed when the investigation against three suspects, including retired Major General Thuan Suresh Sallay, who are being detained and questioned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in connection with the revelations made by Channel 04 in Britain regarding the Easter attack, was called before the court. Here, the CID also submitted a 25-page evidence summary report to the court regarding the naming of Suresh Sallay as the third suspect.

Police Sergeant Jekil Paas, who was attached to the State Intelligence Service, and Police Inspector Nishantha, who was then serving in the Police Intelligence Division, have been named as the first and second suspects in this case. However, the CID informed the court that no information has been revealed so far indicating that these first and second suspects are directly involved in the Easter attack. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) clarified that the charges against them are based solely on the fact that they acted to mislead the investigations carried out in the Vavunathivu area.

Here, President's Counsel Anuja Premaratne, appearing for the third suspect Mr. Suresh Sallay, inquired from the court what evidence exists against his client. In response, the CID stated that information has been received that the third suspect provided guidance to the extremists who carried out the bomb attack on the Katuwapitiya Church, through an informant who had been operating in the Negombo area for a long time, via a person connected to the Army Intelligence Unit. The lawyer appearing for Suresh Sallay made several requests to the court, and the Magistrate ordered that the ruling regarding those requests would be announced on March 25. In this trial, Attorney Ms. Manushika Kure appeared for the aggrieved party, and President's Counsel Nizam Kariyapper appeared for the first and second suspects.