A protest in Sri Lanka demanding justice for the victims of the 2019 Easter bombings (Inset: convicted former police chief Pujith Jayasundara, who was handed a death sentence). Former defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando (not in picture) was also condemned to death. Jayasundara photo: Sri Lanka Police
Sri Lanka's former police chief, ex-defence secretary sentenced to death over 2019 attacks
The High Court Trial-at-Bar found Pujith Jayasundara and Hemasiri Fernando guilty of criminal negligence for failing to act on advance intelligence warnings about the disaster that killed many
In an extraordinary turn for Sri Lanka's judiciary, a three-judge Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar bench on Friday (July 31) delivered death sentences to the country's former inspector general of police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and former defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando, finding them guilty over their failure to act on prior intelligence warnings about the 2019 Easter terrorist bombings that left more than 270 dead and several hundreds injured. More than 40 foreign nationals were among the dead.
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The court held the duo guilty of criminal negligence, dereliction of duty, and aiding and abetting deaths by failing to take preventive measures despite receiving advance intelligence from Indian agencies about the planned attacks. Jayasundara, who served as Sri Lanka's 34th IGP from April 2016 until being placed on compulsory leave after the 2019 attacks, was among the country's top security officials at the time of the bombings.
The duo was arrested in 2019 and held in custody for four months before being released on bail. They were indicted in November 2021 for their negligence of prior intelligence from Indian agencies that local jihadists were plotting sinister designs.
Jayasundara, Fernando were acquitted in 2022
In February 2022, the High Court acquitted Jayasundara and Fernando and dismissed all 855 charges against them. But the Sri Lankan Supreme Court revived the case in November 2024, following an appeal by the attorney general against the court's ruling. The attorney general said no defence witnesses were called at the previous hearing.
Reading the majority decision to convict Jayasundera, Justices Priyantha Liyanage and Thilakaratne Bandara said that due to negligence of intelligence information, 268 people died while 586 were left injured. Jayasundera had failed in his duty to protect the lives of citizens and ensure public security, they said.
Justice Viraj Weerasuriya of the three-member bench gave a dissenting ruling to acquit both.
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Maithripala Sirisena, who was the president of the country then, was blamed for its alleged inaction to prevent the attacks despite having prior intelligence.
The bombings, which took place on April 19, 2019, were a series of coordinated suicide attacks targeting churches and luxury hotels.
(Inputs from agencies)