Sri Lankan authorities on Tuesday arrested former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara on charges of mishandling intelligence reports that came before the Easter Sunday terror attack killing more than 250 people on April 21.
Fernando and Jayasundara were scheduled to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) this morning to give a statement over the Easter Sunday attacks, Daily Mirror reported.
Both the suspects were arrested by the CID at the Colombo National Hospital, police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera was quoted as saying.
Earlier, the Attorney General had instructed the acting IGP to take necessary steps under the criminal procedure code by naming former Jayasundara and Fernando as suspects and to produce them in the relevant Magistrate's Court after recording statements over the alleged criminal negligence and failure to prevent or minimise the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Sources further informed that Fernando had informed the CID that he would appear before the CID next Monday.
The two top officials have been blamed for their failure to prevent the terrorist attacks that targeted several churches and high-end hotels across Colombo and Batticaloa areas on April 21.
On April 11, India's intelligence agencies sent a memo to the Sri Lankan Police chief with names, addresses, and even phone numbers of the culprits and warned that a local Muslim group, identified as National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), was planning suicide attacks on Catholic churches and the Indian High Commission in the capital, Colombo.
( With inputs from ANI )