Gammanpila Demands Fresh Probe Into Shani Abeysekara and Ravi Seneviratne Over Easter Sunday Attacks
Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila has called for new legal proceedings to be initiated against Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director Shani Abeysekara and former Ministry official Ravi Seneviratne in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks, reigniting debate over accountability for the 2019 bombings that claimed more than 260 lives.
Renewed Calls for Accountability
Gammanpila, a prominent opposition politician and former cabinet minister, urged the relevant authorities to launch a fresh investigation into the roles allegedly played by both individuals in the lead-up to or handling of intelligence surrounding the devastating Easter Sunday attacks. The bombings, which targeted churches and luxury hotels across Sri Lanka on 21 April 2019, remain one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in the country's history.
The PHU leader argued that justice for the victims of the attacks had still not been fully served and that those who may have obstructed justice or failed in their duties must be held responsible under the law.
Shani Abeysekara and Ongoing Controversy
Shani Abeysekara, a senior police officer who headed the CID, has been a controversial figure in Sri Lankan political and law enforcement circles for several years. His tenure has been marked by both praise from civil society advocates and sharp criticism from certain political quarters who have accused him of selectively pursuing cases.
Gammanpila's latest call adds further pressure on the current administration to revisit the Easter Sunday investigations and examine whether all individuals who may bear responsibility — directly or indirectly — have been adequately scrutinised by the justice system.
Victims Still Awaiting Justice
More than five years after the coordinated bombings, families of the victims continue to demand full transparency and accountability. Multiple investigations and parliamentary inquiries have been conducted over the years, yet many Sri Lankans feel that those at the highest levels of political and institutional responsibility have escaped meaningful consequences.
Gammanpila's intervention reflects the ongoing political sensitivity surrounding the Easter attacks, which continue to shape public discourse on national security, religious harmony, and institutional integrity in Sri Lanka.
It remains to be seen whether the relevant authorities will act on the PHU leader's demands or whether the calls will be absorbed into the broader, unresolved political debate that has surrounded the attacks since their occurrence.
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Gammanpila always does this before election. Nothing will come of it.
Exactly. Same drama every time, ppl forget after two weeks.