Sri Lanka sacks high-ranking police officer over Easter Sunday bombings
Nilantha Jayawardena, who previously served as the head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), was placed on compulsory leave by the National Police Commission (NPC) in July 2024, pending an internal investigation.
Following the conclusion of the inquiry, the NPC decided to dismiss Jayawardena from service.
"It was decided at the meeting of the police commission held on July 17 to order the immediate dismissal from police service of the senior deputy inspector general of police, Nilantha Jayawardena," the NCP said in a statement.
About 270 people, including 11 Indians, were killed as suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat, linked to ISIS, carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday in 2019.
On March 21, 2024, the police commission decided to conduct a disciplinary inquiry against Jayawardena for his negligence of duty, which led to the Easter Sunday attack.
The report of the disciplinary investigation was received by the police commission two weeks ago. The commission ruled that Jayawardena was guilty of all the counts in the chargesheet served on him.
Jayawardena becomes the most senior police officer to be found guilty of dereliction of duty.
He was ordered to pay a 75 million rupee fine as compensation to the victims.
The Supreme Court in 2023 ruled that former President Maithripala Sirisena, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former National Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis and former SIS Chief Jayawardena had violated the Fundamental Rights of the petitioners by failing to act on prior intelligence that could have prevented the attacks.
The then President Sirisena was ordered to pay 100 million to the relatives of the victims.
The attack became a political issue in the country, with the then rulers, the Rajapaksa family, being accused of using the attack to regain power.
The Catholic church, unimpressed by the police investigations, called for international investigations to bring justice to the families of victims.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Donald Trump sparks outrage by demanding Washington Commanders name reversal request
Donald Trump sparks outrage by demanding Washington Commanders name reversal request (Image via Getty) On July 20, 2025, President Donald Trump used his Truth Social account to call for an immediate change of the NFL's Washington Commanders back to the Washington Redskins and MLB's Cleveland Guardians back to the Cleveland Indians. He wrote that 'our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen' and urged team owners to 'GET IT DONE!!!' Trump argued that restoring the old titles would honour Indigenous heritage rather than erase it. US President Donald Trump urges Washington Commanders to return to Redskins name US President Trump's post appeared on Sunday, July 20, on Truth Social, a platform he launched after leaving office. He declared that the Washington 'Whatever's' must 'IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team' and added that fans are clamouring for the move . He also insisted that the Cleveland Indians name carry more history than the current Guardians label, though baseball's 'original six' term applies to hockey, not baseball . Donald Trump said the renaming is not about disrespect but preserving 'heritage and prestige' for Native Americans. US President Donald Trump also wants Cleveland Guardians to bring back Indians name The football franchise began as the Boston Braves in 1932, became the Boston Redskins in 1933, and moved to Washington in 1937. The club used the Redskins name until 2020, briefly played as the Washington Football Team, then rebranded to Commanders in 2022 after criticism of the old name's offensiveness. Cleveland dropped 'Indians' and its 'Chief Wahoo' logo after 2021, adopting Guardians to respect calls against racial stereotypes. Both owners, Josh Harris of Washington and Chris Antonetti of Cleveland, have said they plan no further changes. Also Read: 'She Is Very Talented': Melania Trump Defied Donald Trump With Taylor Swift Praise While Travis Kelce Stood Loyal By Her Side Despite Donald Trump's request, neither franchise has signalled a reversal. Commanders owner Josh Harris told reporters in February that the new name embodies modern values and team spirit. Guardians president Chris Antonetti has similarly defended the current identity, saying it unites players and supporters under a fresh banner. FAQs 1. When did Donald Trump call for the Washington Redskins name return? On July 20, 2025, Trump posted the demand on Truth Social. 2. Why did the Redskins and Indians change their team names? They changed names due to criticism that the old names were offensive to Native Americans. 3. Who owns the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians? Josh Harris owns the Commanders; Chris Antonetti leads the Guardians. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
Calm returns to Syria's Sweida after week-long sectarian clashes leave over 1,100 dead
Calm returned to southern Syria's Sweida province on Sunday after a week of sectarian violence between Druze fighters and rival groups that killed more than 1,100 people. read more Bodies of people killed during sectarian violence the previous week lie in a street in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria on July 20, 2025.- AFP Calm prevailed in southern Syria's Sweida province on Sunday following a week of intense sectarian fighting that left more than 1,100 people dead, according to a war monitor and AFP correspondents. A ceasefire announced Saturday appeared to be holding after previous attempts to end hostilities between Druze fighters and rival Bedouin groups collapsed. The violence had escalated to involve Islamist-led government forces, the Israeli military, and tribal militias from across Syria. Humanitarian access resumed with the arrival of the first aid convoy, Red Crescent official Omar al-Malki confirmed, noting that more deliveries were expected. The convoy's entry was coordinated with local Druze-controlled authorities and government agencies, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, Syria's government reported that a Druze faction blocked one of its own convoys from reaching the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the province experienced 'cautious calm' from midnight, and that government forces had sealed off roads to prevent more tribal fighters from entering. The UK-based monitor updated the death toll late Sunday to 1,120, including 427 Druze fighters, 298 Druze civilians, 354 government security personnel, and 21 Sunni Bedouin. Witnesses, Druze groups, and the Observatory have accused government forces of siding with the Bedouin and carrying out abuses, including summary executions, when they entered the city earlier in the week. 'Totally calm' Hanadi Obeid, a 39-year-old doctor, told AFP that 'the city hasn't seen calm like this in a week'. The interior ministry said overnight that Sweida city was 'evacuated of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city's neighbourhoods were halted'. The Observatory had said Druze fighters retook control of the city on Saturday evening. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa had on Saturday announced a ceasefire in Sweida and renewed a pledge to protect Syria's ethnic and religious minorities in the face of the latest sectarian violence since Islamists overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. A spokesman for Syria's tribal and clan council told Al Jazeera late Saturday that fighters had left the city 'in response to the call of the presidency and the terms of the agreement'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A medic inside Sweida told AFP by telephone on Sunday that 'the situation is totally calm… We aren't hearing clashes.' Residents of Sweida city, who number at about 150,000, have been holed up in their homes without electricity and water, and food supplies have also been scarce. An AFP photographer said the morgue at Sweida's main hospital was full and bodies were lying on the ground outside the building. The United Nations migration agency said more than 128,000 people in Sweida province have been displaced by the violence. 'Brutal acts' US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said Sunday that the country stood at a 'critical juncture', adding that 'peace and dialogue must prevail – and prevail now'. 'All factions must immediately lay down their arms, cease hostilities, and abandon cycles of tribal vengeance,' he wrote on X, saying 'brutal acts by warring factions on the ground undermine the government's authority and disrupt any semblance of order'. Sharaa's announcement Saturday came hours after the United States said it had negotiated a ceasefire between Syria's government and Israel, which had bombed government forces in both Sweida and Damascus earlier in the week. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israel, which has its own Druze community, has said it was acting in defence of the group, as well as to enforce its demands for the total demilitarisation of Syria's south. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday urged the Syrian government's security forces to prevent jihadists from entering and 'carrying out massacres' in the south, and called on Damascus to 'bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks'. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Donald Trump administration condemned for opposing Washington child abuse law; senator says 'children will continue to suffer'
Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) has inserted itself into a contentious legal battle with the state of Washington over a recently passed law, SB 5375, that mandates reporting for child abuse, even from the clergymen who discover it under the seal of confession. The Washington law was signed into effect by Governor Bob Ferguson in May of this year but has been beset by a number of legal challenges from religious advocacy groups, as well as local representatives of the Catholic church, who oppose it on the grounds of religious freedom. Donald Trump's administration has made it clear it stands firmly against the Washington law as well, with Attorney General Pam Bondi launching a First Amendment probe against the legislation. This has culminated in the DOJ formally intervening in the lawsuit between the Seattle, Spokane and Yakima Catholic dioceses against the Washington Governor's office, known as Etienne v Ferguson. This Friday, Judge David G. Estudillo granted a preliminary injunction blocking the law's enforcement. Advocates for stronger laws against child abuse have spoken out against this development, with Senator Noel Frame saying, 'Children will continue to suffer because religious leaders they trust are not reporting when children tell them they are being hurt.' JUST IN: A federal judge has barred Washington state from enforcing a law that would have required priests to report evidence of child abuse learned during Trump administration had intervened on the side of the Catholic Trump's Department of Justice opposes child abuse law Donald Trump's Department of Justice is working to invalidate Washington state's law as part of a broader conservative agenda to protect religious institutions. Weighing in on the Etienne v Ferguson lawsuit, the DOJ claimed that the law "deprives Catholic priests of their fundamental right to freely exercise their religious beliefs, as guaranteed under the First Amendment". A federal judge has ruled that Catholic priests in Washington state cannot be required to report child abuse or neglect they learn about through confession after the Trump administration intervened in their favor. Child abuse has been a recurring stain on the Catholic church's reputation ever since the church was embroiled in scandal after scandal throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Advocates of the Catholic church have claimed that the church has reformed as a consequence and can police itself, but these arguments have repeatedly been called into question in recent investigations such as the 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report. The case will likely escalate to the Supreme Court The legal battle regarding Washington's child abuse law is likely to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. Given that Donald Trump himself has appointed the majority of the Supreme Court justices, there is considerable pessimism on the law's ability to hold up to legal challenges.
