Security sources have revealed that a team of senior officers from Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), including Director SSP Shani Abeysekara, has undertaken a special overseas assignment. According to circulating information within security circles, the delegation has travelled to France as part of ongoing investigative efforts connected to the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.
The primary objective of the visit is believed to be the questioning of Azad Maulana, a Sri Lankan figure currently residing abroad, who has been referenced in multiple strands of the continuing investigation. Authorities are reportedly seeking further statements and clarification from Maulana regarding claims and disclosures linked to the broader inquiry into the coordinated suicide bombings that struck churches and hotels across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday in April 2019, killing over 260 people and triggering one of the most extensive security investigations in the country’s history. The case has remained politically and legally sensitive, with successive investigative bodies examining intelligence failures, alleged warning gaps, and possible wider networks connected to the attackers.
Azad Maulana came into international attention after being featured in a Channel 4 documentary that examined alleged behind-the-scenes dynamics related to the Easter Sunday attacks. The documentary included claims from various individuals, including Maulana, suggesting possible intelligence-related controversies and raising questions about state awareness and response prior to the bombings. These allegations have been strongly disputed by Sri Lankan authorities, but they have continued to fuel public debate and calls for further independent scrutiny. Maulana’s statements in the documentary contributed to renewed international focus on the unresolved aspects of the case, as well as scrutiny of domestic investigative progress.
