Dr. Punsara Amarasinghe, a lecturer attached to the Kotelawala Defence University, was arrested by the Terrorist Investigation Division for making several irresponsible statements concerning national security and sensitive issues related to certain communities, Police said.
Issuing a statement, Police said that the lecturer had made several concerning statements during a televised interview regarding the four Sri Lankans arrested in India recently on suspicion of maintaining links with international terror group ISIS.
During the interview broadcast on May 25, Amarasinghe had made a controversial statement alleging that the four Sri Lankan nationals arrested in India, had been among a list of 300 to 400 radical extremists, named by the Commission to investigate the Easter Sunday Attacks of 2019.
Amarasinghe had alleged that the Sri Lankan law enforcement agencies and intelligence authorities had failed to monitor these suspected radicals closely, the statement said.
Police said, when questioned, Amarasinghe said that he regretted making these remarks, as he had been mistaken.
The academic had also erroneously reported that a 2020 ban placed on certain prescribed text books at Madarasas distorting the fundamentals of religion, was lifted in 2023. Amarasinghe had admitted to his mistake in making this erroneous statement, Police said.
Furthermore, Police said Amarasinghe had made several statements about the preachings of fundamentalists who go by the names of Zakir Hussain and PJ, adding that the lecturer failed to provide sufficient information to support his claims.
According to Police, the scholar had also said that a person identified as Aadhil X arrested in 2019 had been acquitted of all charges. When questioned, Amarasinghe had admitted that he was unaware of the ongoing case against this individual at the Galle High Court.
Police said that the academic’s irresponsible remarks were misinforming the public. Amarasinghe recorded a statement on his controversial remarks and was subsequently arrested by the TID on Wednesday. The lecturer was later granted bail by the Fort Magistrate’s Court. (Newswire)