Family of lawyer arrested for alleged links with Easter Sunday attackers files case against police

The family of a young lawyer, who has been arrested for his alleged links to the last year's Easter Sunday bombings that killed nearly 260 people, on Thursday filed a case against his prolonged detention, demanding that he be produced in a court.

Nine suicide bombers, belonging to local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS, carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, killing 258 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500 on the Easter Sunday on April 21, 2019.

Sri Lankan police have arrested over 200 suspects in connection with the bombings.

The court of appeal has put off the case until May 5, the family said.

The petition was filed by the lawyer's father and his wife. The court has asked the police and the Attorney General's Department to be present in court on May 5.

The lawyer was arrested two weeks ago by a police team who charged him of aiding and abetting the suicide bombers.

However, his lawyers claimed that they had not been informed of the reason for his arrest.

The arrested person has not been produced in the court which is a violation of his rights.

Head of a local catholic church Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has been pressing for justice to the victims of the bombings. Three investigations have been carried out.

The police said they have re-opened the investigations and are doing it more thoroughly this time.

The blasts targeted St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and a church in the eastern town of Batticaloa when the Easter Sunday mass were in progress.

Three explosions were reported from three five-star hotels - the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury in Colombo.