Former State Intelligence Service Director, Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay, has been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital for emergency medical treatment, according to media reports.
Hospital sources said he was transferred to the hospital’s emergency treatment unit shortly after admission after his condition reportedly required urgent attention.
Sallay has been held in remand custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with investigations related to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka. He was arrested by the CID on February 25 and has since been detained under remand orders.
According to earlier reports, Sallay had begun a hunger strike while in CID custody, alleging that he was subjected to inhumane treatment. However, the Sri Lanka Police has rejected these allegations, stating that no assault or cruel treatment had been carried out against the suspect.
His legal team has also informed authorities that Sallay had requested urgent access to documents required to prepare his last will and testament, stating that he feared his death may be imminent. He has also reportedly expressed a wish to donate his eyes, according to his lawyers.
In a letter addressed to CID Director Shani Abeysekara, his lawyers have requested that Sallay be transferred to a hospital with better facilities and that his health condition be assessed by an independent medical board.
Meanwhile, former minister Udaya Gammanpila had earlier claimed that Sallay was being subjected to torture inside CID custody, prompting political and public attention. Police have firmly denied these claims.
Sallay’s wife, Manori Sallay, has also submitted a written complaint to the Inspector General of Police calling for an independent investigation into alleged inhumane and degrading treatment while in CID custody, including claims of denial of medical care and basic facilities.
The complaint further alleges restrictions on sanitation access after 10 pm and inadequate food provision, which she says has contributed to serious health complications. She has urged authorities to conduct an immediate independent inquiry.
Police, however, in a statement, have denied Gammanpila’s allegations and maintain that no inhumane treatment has been carried out against the suspect while in custody. (NewsWire)