Former State Intelligence Service (SIS) chief Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital on Sunday evening after his condition deteriorated in Criminal Investigation Department (CID) remand custody, hospital sources confirmed.
Sallay was taken to the hospital’s Emergency Treatment Unit shortly after admission. Police said the move followed medical advice and came as he continued a “fast unto death” he began while in custody. He has been held under detention orders since the CID arrested him on February 25 in connection with investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. NewsFirst reported that family members say his hunger strike is being maintained until his demands — including the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act — are met.
Security at the hospital and surrounding areas was significantly tightened after his admission, Ada Derana reported. CID officers and several Special Task Force units have been deployed inside the hospital and at nearby locations to maintain order, the broadcaster said.
His wife Manori Sallay also wrote to the Inspector General of Police on Sunday seeking an independent criminal investigation into alleged inhumane treatment of her husband in CID custody. She listed ten complaints — including torture, cruel and degrading treatment, abuse of authority and denial of medical care — based on what her husband had told the family during a June 6 visit. She said Sallay had informed his family he could “no longer endure” what he described as continued mental distress and degrading treatment, and that he had instructed his lawyers to pursue pending writ proceedings even in the event of his death. She noted that an earlier complaint of similar allegations submitted on March 7 had received no response.
Police have rejected all allegations of mistreatment in custody. The hospital admission comes after Sallay’s lawyer wrote to the CID Director on Saturday over health concerns, and after a Colombo magistrate ordered him on June 4 to be assessed by a court-appointed psychiatrist on June 10. A protest against his alleged treatment in custody was also held by opposition figures in Colombo Fort earlier on Sunday.
Update — June 8: Police Spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent F.U. Wootler, formally confirmed on Monday that CID and Special Task Force officers have been deployed at the National Hospital Colombo and surrounding areas to maintain heightened security around Sallay’s room, NewsFirst reported. Relatives of the former SIS chief restated that he had launched a “fast-unto-death,” demanding the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act among other conditions. Sallay continues to be held under detention orders while receiving treatment.
Update — June 8 (CID court motion): The CID formally informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on Monday, via a motion, that Sallay had been admitted to the National Hospital after his condition deteriorated, Ada Derana reported. According to the CID’s filing, Sallay was transferred to the hospital on Sunday night for emergency medical treatment while remaining under CID custody. The motion is the first court-recorded confirmation of the hospital transfer; authorities reiterated that his condition worsened during the hunger strike against alleged inhumane treatment and torture.
Update — June 8 (wife’s hospital visit): Manori Sallay, speaking to journalists after visiting her husband at the National Hospital on Monday, said the former intelligence chief remained in a “critical condition” and had still not consumed any food or water, Ada Derana reported. “He is still not eating or drinking anything. He is in a critical condition. The doctors are monitoring him. He is on saline. He has not ended his fast,” she said. Family members confirmed Sallay remains under medical care at the hospital, with doctors closely monitoring him and administering saline. The Monday hospital visit is the first direct statement from a family member that the “fast unto death” is continuing inside the hospital after Sunday night’s emergency transfer from CID custody.
Sources: Ada Derana — Sallay admitted, Ada Derana — security tightened, NewsFirst — admitted on medical advice, Newswire, NewsFirst — security heightened at NHC, Ada Derana — CID informs court of hospital admission, Newswire — CID informs court Suresh Sallay hospitalised after health deterioration, Ada Derana — Sallay refusing food and water despite being hospitalized, his wife says.
