-By A Special Correspondent Writes
(Lanka-e-News -02.April.2025, 11.30 PM) The heinous Easter attack was carried out through a visible and an unseen network of operations. On the surface, only Zahran and a handful of others were visible. However, four years after the attack, the name of Pillayan, who was once the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province and a Deputy Minister of the Pohottuwa government, has now gained both local and international attention for his alleged involvement in planning and coordinating the attack.
Asaad Maulana, who once served as Pillayan’s secretary, later sought political asylum in Geneva, Switzerland. Last year, Maulana revealed to the United Nations and Britain's Channel 4 that there was a connection between Pillayan and the State Intelligence Chief, Suresh Sallay. Following these revelations, a parliamentary debate was held, and Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed an investigative committee. However, the state media outlets Hiru and Derana launched a campaign to discredit Asaad Maulana, rejecting all his claims in an attempt to shape public opinion in favor of their political masters.
While biased media and the Rajapaksa-Ranil coalition attempt to shield the masterminds behind the Easter massacre, we uphold our duty and right to expose the truth. Pillayan was initially imprisoned in the Batticaloa prison for the murder of Joseph Pararajasingham. His close associate, Kaleel, who was also arrested in connection with the same murder, was a Sergeant attached to the Military Intelligence Unit.
Kaleel, originally from Ottamavadi, had long-standing ties with Zahran. When Pillayan defected from the LTTE and returned to Batticaloa, he began working closely with Kaleel. It was during this period that Joseph Pararajasingham’s assassination took place.
Channel 4 and the UN Human Rights Council have reported that while in prison, Pillayan and Kaleel maintained close ties with Zahran's group. According to confessions made by Asaad Maulana, Zahran’s group was responsible for a small bomb explosion near the Aliyar Junction in Kattankudy. Following the incident, they were arrested and detained at the Batticaloa prison. Even Pillayan’s own book records these events, identifying them as ISIS affiliates.
Asaad Maulana’s statement also reveals that Pillayan claimed Zahran’s group was prepared to sacrifice their lives for their religious beliefs.
According to Maulana, Pillayan told him to facilitate a connection between Suresh Sallay and Zahran’s group to "maximize their potential." As a result, they were released on bail and later met with a group introduced by Suresh Sallay at a coconut estate in Puttalam. Maulana further stated that Pillayan believed Gotabaya’s election as President would ensure his own release from prison.
Pillayan was known for his expertise in training suicide bombers within the LTTE. Kaleel, on the other hand, was a Sergeant in Military Intelligence. According to Maulana, Kaleel and Pillayan facilitated Zahran’s introduction to Suresh Sallay. Kaleel maintained regular phone conversations with Zahran leading up to the Easter attack, coordinating the operations.
The dark side of this underground operation was exposed after the Sainthamaruthu explosion, where 14 people, including Zahran’s relatives, died in a suicide blast. During investigations at the site, a SIM card was discovered and sent to the FBI for forensic analysis. The investigation revealed that the SIM card belonged to Kaleel, and it had been used for phone communications up until the day of the Easter attack.
Although Zahran and his group perished, Pillayan and Kaleel continue to move freely among the elite of the country, protected by a system that has suppressed the truth through brute force.
A proper investigation will reveal that from 2017, Zahran’s group was trained under Pillayan and Kaleel. It is also unlikely that a small group like Zahran’s could have executed multiple coordinated attacks without external support. The masterminds behind the Easter attack were lurking in the shadows.
When Gotabaya became President in 2019, Pillayan expected an immediate release, as he had been promised. However, when there was a delay, he threatened to expose everything. Reversing a murder charge is not an easy task, but for the Rajapaksa clan, bending the law was never a challenge.
The case of Joseph Pararajasingham’s murder was heard at the Batticaloa High Court before Justice D. Susaidasan. The Senior State Counsel, representing the Attorney General, suddenly declared that there was no need to continue the case. As a result, on January 13, 2022, Pillayan was acquitted of all charges with the Attorney General’s blessing.
On the day of his release, Namal Rajapaksa personally arrived to welcome Pillayan, the man who had masterminded the campaign that helped make Gotabaya President.
Asaad Maulana is now preparing to disclose all the links between Pillayan and Suresh Sallay in an official investigation in Sri Lanka. If the investigation proceeds honestly, it will reveal even the discussions that took place between Zahran, Galagodaaththe Gnanasara, and Suresh Sallay at the same table.
-By A Special Correspondent Writes
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by (2025-04-02 18:58:11)
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