Easter Sunday massacre – The Church’s quest for a “mahamolakaru”
There are numerous protagonists to Sri Lanka Easter Sunday massacre. We have Zaharan and his suicide bombers alongside an ideological network slowly spreading across the Island unchecked. The Church initially forgave the suicide bombers but has spent the past seven years in a relentless hunt for an undefined single “mahamolakaru.” This pursuit, never substantiated, has been used to reject Presidential Commission and Committee reports while endorsing allegations from a political asylum seeker, four years after the attacks, whose central claims remain untested in Sri Lanka.
21 April 2019
08:45a.m – St. Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade – Suicide bomber Alawdeen Ahmed Maud (1st blast)
08:45a.m. – St. Sebastians Church, Katuwapitiya – Moh. Hashthun
09:05a.m. – Zion Church, Batticoloa – Mohammed Nassar Mohammad Asad
The blast should have triggered immediate police deployment as heads were fully aware of an attack since 4 April. Closure of all remaining churches & hotels named in the intel briefs & teams should have been immediately deployed to intercept suspects who were already known.
The fatalities from the 3 churches neared 200 deaths.
The Cardinal held the midnight mass at St. Lucias Cathedral (15minute walk from St. Anthony’s Church) on 20th April 2019 while the Easter Sunday morning mass was held at his residence and not St. Anthonys Church.
No sooner he heard about the blasts he rushed to St. Anthony’s Church.
We tabulate the reactions of the Church from 21st April 2019 onwards.
IMMEDIATE POST-ATTACK: BLAME THE GOVTS FAILURE
intelligence failure
negligence of state officials
failure to prevent despite warnings
justice for Catholic victims
moral accountability of the then Yahapalana leadership & strongly criticized President Sirisena, PM Wickremasinghe & police/intelligence lapses
The Church’s initial stand was that the attack was preventable because prior intelligence already existed
SHIFTING FROM “FAILURE” TO “INTERNATIONAL CONSPIRACY” – July 2019
21 July 2019 – Katuwapitiya memorial – Cardinal shifts narrative claiming bombings were not merely the work of extremists but part of a wider international conspiracy. This became the new theme and it is significant because.
it moved the Church away from a pure negligence theory
it introduced concept of a “mastermind” / handler / geopolitical manipulation
it opened space for later claims involving intelligence links
This statement became the birth of the conspiracy thesis from the Church side.
CHURCH FORGIVES THE KILLERS
Another noteworthy statement was to claim to “forgive the killers” – this was a line directly coming out from truth commission logic.
If the direct perpetrators were publicly forgiven, the later singular focus on an undefined ‘mastermind’ requires closer examination.
Why is there an annual witch hunt over conspiracy and masterminds’ sans evidence except conjecture even 7 years after the attacks. What is the purpose of forgiving the killers, ignoring those who knew & didn’t take action but going behind a “conspiracy theory”.
Even after 7 years all that has emerged is a political savvy asylum seeker creating stories to gain asylum.
REPEATED CRITICISM OF 2020-2022 GOVERNMENT
Thereafter, every annual memorial, the Church repeatedly accused of
- suppressing truth
- failing to implement PCoI recommendations but rejecting its findings
- protecting politically connected actors
- sabotaging “honest investigators” – on what grounds was the Church making these claims & how have they measured their honesty.
Their criticism was directed against
- Yahapalana leadership for prevention failure
- later Rajapaksa governments for incomplete follow-up and delays in prosecutions
SPECIFICALLY, NAMING INTELLIGENCE PERSONNEL – 23 OCTOBER 2021
This is the part that is somewhat confusing.
How did Suresh Sallay enter the radar of the Church from 2020 onwards for them to openly accuse him by name over a webinair?
When fully aware that he was not in Sri Lanka, not holding a military post and not head of SIS during the attacks (though he was head of SIS when the webinar was held), why did the Church yet decide to name him in October 2021?
This virtual webinair was hosted from Australia. The disclosure of names led to then SIS Chief filing defamation complaint against Father Cyril resulting in Father Cyril seeking court intervention via FR to prevent arrest or questioning.
This allegation came 2 years after the attacks, after official commission findings and testimonies and the May 2021 “grand plot” remarks by then Attorney General Dappula de Livera.
Father Gamini claimed intelligence units had helped Zaharan, that financial & logistical assistance had been given, Brigadier Suresh Sallay had nurtured Zaharan’s network.
This became the basis for Suresh Sallay to file defamation against Father Gamini.
Father Gamini was speaking without judicially tested evidentiary documents which if available should have been handed to the Presidential Commission or a complaint filed with the police.
Serious allegations of this nature required evidentiary presentation before investigators or the Commission rather than first emerging in a public webinar.
Also, special action was taken by the Presidential Commission Chairman Justice Janak de Silva to allow Cardinal to be present throughout all the proceedings and as such senior attorney Shamil Perera was nominated for this task. Therefore, the Church was privy to every word that went inside the Commission and if any grey areas prevailed they could have easily made their representation to clear doubts.
DIRECT SUPPORT FOR CHANNEL 4 ALLEGATIONS – 6 SEPTEMBER 2023
The Church rejected the Commission / Committee reports but issued a 4 page congratulatory message to Channel 4 following its documentary featuring Azad Maulana.
https://www.scribd.com/document/669491302/Malcolm-Cardinal-Ranjith-Press-Release-English
This was the most significant public pivot by the Church.
After Channel 4 aired Azad Maulana’s claims, the Cardinal publicly welcomed the documentary’s revelations in a 4-page congratulatory message and made four demands.
Independent investigation: He demanded a free, impartial, transparent investigation into the alleged “grand plot.”
International oversight: that this inquiry involve an international team rather than relying solely on domestic committees.
Reinstatement of key officials: The Cardinal insisted the investigators who had previously been removed or sidelined — notably Shani Abeysekara (former DIG CID) and Ravi Seneviratne — who were the key officials removed, be brought back to assist the inquiry.
Suspension of high-ranking officers under investigation (presumably implying Suresh Sallay as name was mentioned initially in October 2021 webinair): He demanded that officials implicated in negligence or obstruction be temporarily removed from active duty to ensure investigation independence.
While Ravi’s name featured in the negligence allegations across the investigations as he served as SDIG and headed the CID.
Shani’s removal was based on several leaked phone messages with a MP that compromised his role as CID Director.
Both however, filed FR’s against their removal.
Media reports also carried that both were members of the JVP retired police officer’s forum and sat on election stage of the NPP during the 2024-2025 elections.
https://www.ft.lk/news/Ex-CID-Chief-takes-over-as-head-of-NPP-s-Retired-Police-Collective/56-762865
- Quoting relevant areas from the article:
- “Speaking at the Collective’s National Conference in Maharagama, Seneviratne said his decision to join the NPP was driven by a desire to restore the rule of law in the country” (how can the retired restore rule of law?)
- “Seneviratne elaborated that the group constituting the Collective held extensive discussions with NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake over a period of two years” (this implies discussions were held while holding position)
- “He maintained the Collective was a democratic organisation and its members have no desire to be involved in the country’s law enforcement in an official capacity once more” (but he is Secretary Public Security & the other is Director CID once again)
- Former Director of Criminal Investigation Department SSP Shani Abeysekera, former DIG Gamini Navaratne, former DIG D. Gajasinghe, former DIG J.A. Mark, and many other former police officers were also in attendance.
The dangerous implications of police engaged in politics and the current precedence of retiring police engaged in politics and being reinstated to service and given top posts was highlighted by Presidents Counsel Ali Sabry citing that the dangerous precedence may in future result in a politician being appointed IGP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVmKeCRKp14
Thus, when the Cardinal’s congratulatory message on the Channel 4 documentary also includes reinstating officers removed from initial investigations he is clearly referring to the very two officers that Ali Sabry has raised serious concerns about.
The Church, by publicly congratulating the documentary, indirectly endorsed Azad Maulana’s allegations – why did Maulana wait 4 years for his disclosure until seeking asylum, exposes contradictions against facts established. Yet the Church was happy to accept an asylum seekers allegation at face value and as a “whistleblower”,
What this did was to reopen the conspiracy theory first mooted by Cardinal initially, then repeated by Dappula De Livera and again resurrected by Azad Maulana. By congratulating Channel 4 the Church effectively gave moral legitimacy to Azad Maulana. It was why then President Ranil Wickremasinghe appointed the Imam Committee to specifically review the Channel 4 documentary.
Which is why the FBI questioning of Azad Maulana is important.
Imam Committee on:
Channel 4 airing Azad’s claims:
“Channel 4 has telecast Azad Maulana’s story as presented by him without checking its veracity.”
intelligence–NTJ links
“No evidence to support this claim.”
Suresh Sallay’s alleged presence in Sri Lanka
“Established that Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay was not in Sri Lanka & was in New Delhi.”
Rajapaksa return-to-power motive theory
“Found this assertion baseless & mere conjecture sans facts.”
the alleged coconut estate meeting
“As per police investigations, the structures mentioned by Azad did not exist at the time of the supposed meeting.”
Channel 4s journalism standard
“The Committee refers to Channel 4 broadcast as yellow journalism.”
Imam Committee declared “Azad’s story is an outright hoax and unproved.”
If we return to the September 2023 request by Cardinal to reinstate removed investigators, exactly a year after President Anura Kumara appoints Ravi S as Secretary Public Security and returns Shani as Director CID with the National Police Commission reinstating him to the police (though he had retired) on a one-year contract. Both members of the NPP Retired Police Officers Collective.
Moreover, having started another report on Easter Sunday, President Anura Disanayake appoints Director CID Shani to the committee in April 2025.
https://www.ft.lk/news/Shani-Abeysekara-joins-committee-reviewing-Easter-Attack-report/56-775773
It is therefore no coincidence that Cabinet Minister Bimal states both Ravi and Shani were appointed at the Cardinal’s request
The Cardinal’s third demand to bring back officers removed (presumably Shani Abeysekara and Ravi Seneviratne) must be viewed against the fact that Zaharan Hashim’s radicalization, inclusion in SIS watchlists, the 2018 TID B report, the arrest order, the Wanathawilluwa explosives discovery, the Mawanella vandalism trail, the Indian intelligence warnings of 4–20 April 2019, and even the final imminent 8-target alert of 20 April all unfolded while Shani was CID Director and Ravi held senior CID command responsibility. In SIS Head Nilantha Jayawardena’s testimony to the Presidential Commission he claims he personally informed the IGP Pujith, CNI Sisira Mendis, Defense Secretary Hemasiri and Senior DIG CID Ravi Seneviratne.
In short, the intelligence, legal trail, and operational warning signs had already fully matured under their watch before 21 April 2019, raising the key question whether their reinstatement addresses the truth deficit or merely restores officers who were already part of the failed pre-attack system.
If the Church can be merciless against all in the police and intel – why are they excluded?
The political transition after 2024 operationalized the Church’s investigative preference by restoring the very officers it had earlier called for to be reinstated.
Over seven years, the Church has consistently redirected attention from those who directly enabled the attacks, from intelligence lapses to actionable leads, toward ever-evolving “grand conspiracy” narratives.
So, we must ask, what is the narrative these players wish to promote & why?
This shows
Church demand to reinstate officers removed
Channel 4 line
political change and officers reinstated to same /powerful roles
investigator restoration
new inquiry direction with the same officers as members
all converging into a single post-2024 investigative direction aligned with the Church’s 2023 demand structure.
So, we must ask, what is the narrative these players wish to promote & why?
Let us once again return to the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019.
What we know and what we can all agree upon is
Islamic suicide bombers carried out multiple attacks killing 270 people
The attack was planned over a period of time
The security apparatus knew about the leader of the group
The security apparatus were warned at least 3 weeks in advance – more than sufficient time to take even the basic of preventive measures.
The attacks whether committed by Zaharan as leader or a group becomes irrelevant given the ideology of ethno-religious exclusivity being preached, an indoctrination that advances followers from hate, minor acts of terror to committing heinous acts of terrorism even martyrdom.
This aspect is nothing that was created by Zaharan or originated by him but an aspect that has been part and parcel of historical expansion and calls to create an Islamic caliphate clearly establishes this.
Therefore, when 99% of the world’s terror outfits are those that commit martyrdom in the name of their religion – there is nothing to be surprised about its occurrence in Sri Lanka except the need to identify existing terror cells and immediately neutralize before another attack.
The Catholic Church cannot claim ignorance about the above given the two have been engaged in historical battles some of which have lasted 300 years. Both of their expansionist obectives with tactical differences is known by all.
However, given this ground reality, when the Church begins to play with the theme of “justice” and shifts stand playing with people’s mood, we need to question it.
What made the Church move from “who failed” and why to “who enabled this” completely ignoring the perpetrators by automatically forgiving them?
The Church excuses their shift to claiming, delayed prosecutions, not implementing PCoI recommendations, no clear mastermind, perceived shielding of state officials.
Father Cyril Gamini has been the main protagonist behind mooting these sentiments as made clear in the zoom webinar in October 2021.
Prior to this came another bombshell when the departing then Attorney General in an unprecedented interview on a private channel in May 2021 referred to a “grand conspiracy” behind the Easter attacks.
No grand conspiracy theory can absolve the prior intelligence made available and acknowledged by the security apparatus, CID head, IGP and Defense Secretary. If specific prior intelligence existed it is a serious dereliction of duty & criminal negligence or deliberate suppression by those who held position at the time.
Why is the Church not pointing fingers at those who were in position, who received the intel and yet did nothing to prevent the attacks.
Moreover, the Church is also forgetting an equally important fact.
The former SIS Head Nilantha Jayawardena is on record to claim that before the attacks some 10,000 to 15,000 people would have been aware of an attack including the diplomats.
Why does no one question who this 10,000 – 15,000 people are. Are they not criminally liable as well?
The Church completely ignores that evidence on Zaharan existed far before foreign warnings.
Not only were the security apparatus aware but warrants for his arrest were already issued. Zaharan was a fugitive when he committed the crime.
The Church is attempting to portray a notion that Zaharan was “created” and “suddenly activated” by a later handler. This is not how the sequence of global Islamic terror takes place which the Church is well aware of given the increasing number of Churches under attack across the Middle East & Africa.
Zaharan’s radicalism was known from this extremist sermons, mobilizing youth using “Save the Pearls” organization which the father of the 2 suicide brothers was the treasurer. Zaharan was even attacking members of Sufi community, his group vandalized Buddha statues, shot at those who provided tip offs against them, and was keeping ISIS promotion materials. Zaharan was already considered a threat on record. The question is why did those who knew about him, knew there was an arrest warrant against him not take serious action when the foreign intel established he was getting ready to commit an heinous act.
The Church – Father Gamini and grand plot theory attempts to point to the sophistication of the attack as proof of state engineering. But from the FBI affidavit and the discovery of the cashe of explosives and pamphlets on how to make explosive devices it was clear that Zaharan and his team had been studying on creating the explosives for the attack and a dry run was also done prior to the attacks.
The principle failure is the non-action by those seated in office. The politicization of both the armed forces, intel and police after regime change in 2015 where loyalties were divided between the President & Prime Minister and an unhealthy competition arose is sadly the untold truth in what ensued.
Moreover, the emergence of the “good governance” government came with the mantra of “reconciliation” and “multiculturalism” which resulted in ignoring ground realities and threats to appease and please. This is one of the key unspoken reasons for inaction of officials.
Today, as a result the operational mechanics of the intel is being exposed in detail due to the persistence of the Church creating another Millennium City debacle like scenario.
Given Sri Lanka’s unresolved history of terrorism, separatist violence, and prior controversies over the exposure of intelligence methodologies, the continued public demand for explicit operational details risks creating a sequel to earlier national security breaches where methods, sources, and field networks became unnecessarily vulnerable after exposure.
If the State already knew Zaharan was radical, and India later gave exact attack intelligence, why was he still free to execute simultaneous suicide attacks? Maybe the Church should answer this first.
The gravest danger in the Church’s continuing obsession with an undefined single “mahamolakaru” is that it is doing exactly what Sri Lanka cannot afford: diverting national attention away from the urgent task of identifying surviving extremist cells, ideological pipelines, financiers, recruiters, and dormant operatives who may still be capable of striking again. By repeatedly shifting the discourse from the known perpetrators, the documented intelligence failures, and the wider jihadist ecosystem to an ever-expanding conspiracy thesis, the Church is in effect downplaying the very nature of the Islamic terror threat that produced Zaharan and his suicide cadre. This fixation does not strengthen justice; it weakens prevention.
Unfortunately, those that wish to prevent neutralizing the extremist cells are also happy to back the “conspiracy mahamolakaru” theory.
The Church must now answer whether its relentless, seven-year fixation on an undefined political “mahamolakaru” is not just a distraction but a deliberate, ongoing diversion from the nation’s urgent duty to identify surviving extremist cells, ideological pipelines, financiers, and recruiters before they strike again.
Shenali D Waduge
