A desperate appeal from the wife of former Sri Lankan intelligence chief Retired Major General Suresh Sallay has thrust his detention and deteriorating health into renewed public focus, with allegations of torture, severe psychological trauma, and a hunger strike now forming the centerpiece of an urgent plea to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
In a letter dated June 9, 2026, addressed directly to the President in his capacity as Minister of Defence, Manori Sallay appealed for the immediate cancellation of the detention order against her husband, warning that his life is at risk and that every passing day in custody could prove fatal.
The letter presents a deeply personal account of a family confronting what it describes as a rapidly unfolding medical emergency. Writing as “a desperate wife, a distressed mother, and a citizen,” Manori Sallay says she fears her husband may not survive unless immediate intervention is made.
Her appeal follows the extension of a detention order that she had previously requested authorities not renew. According to the letter, the order was extended by a further 90 days despite earlier concerns raised by the family regarding his physical and psychological wellbeing.
The latest developments stem from proceedings before the Fort Magistrate’s Court on May 20, 2026, where the court confirmed receipt of a Judicial Medical Officer’s report prepared under judicial direction. After a motion was filed by Sallay’s legal team seeking access to the report, it was released to them on May 29.
According to Manori Sallay, the findings contained in the report are deeply alarming. She states that the Judicial Medical Officer concluded that her husband suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is at high risk of suicide, and has been subjected to torture and ill-treatment during his detention.
The report, she argues, corroborates claims that Sallay has consistently made regarding the treatment he has allegedly endured while in custody.
Those findings prompted an immediate legal response. On June 3, Sallay’s lawyers filed a motion before court, notifying both the Attorney General and the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department. According to the letter, neither representatives from the Attorney General’s Department nor CID officers appeared when the matter was called.
Given the seriousness of the issues raised, the magistrate adjourned proceedings until the following day. On June 4, counsel representing Sallay urged the court to order a change in his place of detention and ensure that he be examined by a multidisciplinary panel of medical specialists in accordance with recommendations reportedly contained in the Judicial Medical Officer’s report.
The situation took a dramatic turn on June 6 when Sallay’s son and brother-in-law were allowed to visit him.
During the visit, according to the letter, the former intelligence chief informed them that he could no longer endure the treatment he had experienced in detention and had commenced a “Fast Unto Death.”
Manori Sallay says her husband instructed his son to contact lawyers to arrange the execution of his last will and testament. He also reportedly expressed a wish to donate his eyes after his death.
The encounter left family members deeply alarmed. In the letter, she says it was evident that his mental state had significantly deteriorated and that prolonged abuse, isolation, and suffering had affected his ability to make decisions concerning his own welfare.
Following the visit, the family lodged a complaint with the Inspector General of Police seeking urgent intervention and requesting his transfer from the current detention facility.
The concerns intensified when Manori Sallay herself was later granted an opportunity to visit her husband following a request made through Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Asanka Karawita. During that visit, she says it became clear that his physical condition was rapidly worsening.
According to her account, officers present informed her that no instructions had been received to transfer him to a hospital despite his visible medical distress.
Alarmed by what they viewed as an inadequate response, Sallay’s lawyers wrote to the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department emphasizing the State’s responsibility to protect the life of a detainee and requesting immediate hospitalization and medical intervention.
The family subsequently learned through media reports that Sallay had been admitted to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka later that evening. They were later informed that his blood sugar levels had dropped to alarmingly low levels by the time he was admitted.
Yet the letter makes clear that hospitalization has not eased the family’s fears.
Manori Sallay writes that his condition remains extremely serious. She says a nutritionist treating him warned that the continuation of his hunger strike would inevitably affect his vital organs and could result in cardiac arrest.
The appeal describes a medical condition that the family believes has reached a critical stage. According to the letter, more than 100 days of inadequate nutrition, combined with complete fasting, have left Sallay suffering from severe malnutrition and muscle wasting.
His body, she writes, has begun consuming its remaining reserves, resulting in visible physical decline and dramatically reduced strength.
The letter alleges that prolonged sleep deprivation, poor ventilation, denial of prescribed medication, and extended confinement have compounded the damage. Family members are said to have observed sunken eyes, frailty, weakness, and other signs of significant physical deterioration.
Medical risks outlined in the appeal include dangerous electrolyte imbalances and critical nutrient depletion. According to the letter, medical professionals warned that these conditions expose him to the possibility of fatal cardiac arrhythmias, heart attack, stroke, acute kidney injury, and complete renal failure.
Despite the urgency of her appeal, Manori Sallay emphasizes that she is not seeking special treatment or immunity for her husband.
“If my husband is alleged to have committed an offence, let him face due process before a court of law,” she writes, adding that the justice system should determine his fate.
Her plea, instead, is focused on preserving his life while legal proceedings continue.
The letter also reveals measures that Sallay has reportedly indicated would persuade him to end his hunger strike. These include a formal government undertaking regarding the abolition or meaningful amendment of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, his transfer from CID detention to prison custody, and the transfer of the investigation to another branch of the Police Department that is not under the authority of the current CID Director.
As the appeal closes, the focus returns to a family confronting uncertainty and a detainee whose condition, according to those closest to him, continues to deteriorate.
“I fear that every passing day may be my husband’s last,” Manori Sallay writes.
As of June 9, the former intelligence chief remained in state custody, hospitalized after beginning his reported Fast Unto Death, while his family pressed for immediate intervention, arguing that the question before authorities is no longer solely one of detention, but of survival.
