Suresh Sallay detention faces fresh scrutiny after a CID letter cites mental rest, clashing with earlier PTA courtroom claims on his condition.
The Suresh Sallay detention case has taken a striking turn after a major contradiction emerged between the Criminal Investigation Department and earlier arguments advanced by the Attorney General’s Department over the mental condition of Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay, who remains held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
In a written response sent to Mrs. Manori Sallay, the wife of Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay, CID Director SSP Gnendra Shani Abeysekara, on 13 June, effectively acknowledged that the former intelligence chief requires continuous mental rest and should not be disturbed by visitors, including his legal representatives. The response was issued in relation to requests seeking legal access to the detained former Director of State Intelligence.
Copies of the correspondence exchanged between CID Director SSP Gnendra Shani Abeysekara and Mrs. Manori Sallay have been widely circulated across social media platforms and have also been published by several local media outlets.
The CID Director’s position has raised serious questions because it appears to directly contradict submissions previously made before court by Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peeris. During those proceedings, Peeris strongly rejected claims that Sallay’s mental condition was deteriorating and dismissed the medical evidence presented on his behalf. The Additional Solicitor General argued that the suspect was engaged in what he described as an “Oscar-worthy performance” and was attempting to mislead court by raising mental health concerns only after obtaining medical reports in May.
Peeris further submitted that Sallay, who was arrested on February 25, was seeking extraordinary relief from court and that his claims regarding a mental condition lacked credibility. However, the CID Director’s subsequent correspondence appears to reaffirm the medical assessments by stating that Sallay requires constant mental rest and that interactions, including consultations with lawyers, should be restricted in the interest of his recovery.
Observers say the CID Director’s remarks amount to an acknowledgment by the country’s top investigative officer that the former intelligence chief is suffering from a condition that requires special medical and psychological consideration. That position stands in sharp contrast to the government’s earlier courtroom arguments, which sought to undermine and ridicule the medical findings relied upon by Sallay’s legal team.
Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay remains in detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act pursuant to an order issued by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The President recently extended his detention for a further three months. According to information previously released by the CID, Sallay was taken into custody following a complaint reportedly lodged by a Catholic priest in Ragama relating to allegations contained in a video documentary produced by a London-based private television channel. Sallay has consistently denied the allegations and had earlier communicated his rejection of the claims to the same television channel.
Responding to the CID Director’s letter, Mrs. Manori Sallay yesterday, June 14, questioned the justification given for denying legal access to her husband.
“Whilst your letter attempts to justify the refusal of legal access to my husband on the basis of his present medical condition, it conspicuously fails to address the circumstances that led to his hospitalisation in the first place,” she stated.
Mrs. Sallay further argued that her husband’s hunger strike was a direct consequence of the conditions he had experienced while in CID custody.
“I wish to place on record that my husband’s hunger strike did not arise in a vacuum. It was a direct consequence of the physical, psychological, and emotional suffering he has endured whilst under the custody and control of officers attached to the Criminal Investigation Department. As Director of the CID, you exercise authority, supervision, and command over the officers responsible for his detention and treatment. Consequently, the responsibility for ensuring his safety, dignity, and well-being rests squarely upon your office,” she wrote.
She also challenged the legal basis for restricting access to counsel, stating that access to lawyers is a fundamental right that cannot be decided at the discretion of detaining authorities.
“Your assertion that hospitalisation eliminates the need for legal consultation is both legally unsustainable and deeply troubling. Access to legal counsel is not a privilege to be granted or withheld at the discretion of the detaining authority. It is a fundamental legal right afforded to every detainee and a safeguard against abuse, coercion, and arbitrary action. Neither you nor any officer under your command possesses the authority to determine whether my husband requires legal advice,” she stated.
Mrs. Sallay also expressed concern over the CID Director’s suggestion that meetings with lawyers could negatively affect her husband’s psychological recovery.
“Equally concerning is your suggestion that consultations with his lawyers would somehow interfere with his ‘psychological freedom’ or recovery. Such a position is extraordinary given that the very institution responsible for his detention is also the institution whose conduct has contributed to his present condition. It is difficult to reconcile your stated concern for his psychological well-being with the fact that he has felt compelled to embark upon a hunger strike whilst under the exclusive control of the CID,” she said in her response to the CID Director.
The apparent divergence between the CID Director’s written acknowledgment of Sallay’s need for ongoing mental rest and the Attorney General’s Department’s earlier dismissal of medical concerns is likely to intensify scrutiny of the government’s position in the case. It may also raise further questions about the treatment and legal rights of the detained former intelligence chief.
Copies of the two letters exchanged between CID Director Gnendra Shani Abeysekara and Mrs. Manori Sallay have been widely circulated on social media and published in several local media outlets.
