Former MP Udaya Gammanpila says former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias ‘Pillayan’ has been detained in connection with an alleged abduction case in the East, and not related to the 2019 Easter Attacks as claimed by the government.
Udaya Gammanpila, the counsel representing Pillayan, said that the order signed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is concerning unlawful activity connected to aiding and abetting the kidnapping of a person.
Speaking to the media, Udaya Gammanpila said in no way does the order say the arrest and detention of Pillayan is connected to the Easter Attacks.
The former Parliamentarian also pointed out that Pillayan could not have been privy to information related to the Easter Attacks, as he had been detained from 2015 to 2020.
“As such, if anyone says Pillayan is the mastermind of the Easter attacks, it is a joke. The Public Security Minister on 10th April claimed in Parliament that Pillayan has revealed details regarding the Easter attacks. On 12th April, the President said a person from Batticaloa had been arrested in connection with the Easter attacks. However, when I visited Pillayan on 13th April, it was evident that this man has not spoken a single word about the attacks, as claimed by the government,” Udaya Gammanpila said.
The former Parliamentarian said it is evident that Pillayan had no way to know about the Easter Attacks as he was in remand custody before and during the attacks.
Providing details on representing Pillayan as his lawyer, Udaya Gammanpila said he made the decision after being informed that Pillayan’s lawyers had been denied access to meet him.
Udaya Gammanpila said Pillayan’s lawyer, his friend, had informed him that his juniors had been denied access to Pillayan by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) when they had attempted to meet him on 09 April 2025.
“After this, I met Pillayan’s family and obtained the necessary details. I then contacted the Director General of the CID via telephone and informed her that Pillayan’s family and lawyers had been denied access to him, which was a violation of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). I also informed her that as I am now Pillayan’s counsel and need to meet him, will I be given permission?” he said.
Gammanpila said that upon being informed by the CID Director General to make the request in writing and doing so, he was granted permission to meet Pillayan.
“However, four Police officers were present during our meeting, which is not the ordinary practice during such instances. A meeting between a lawyer and his detained client should be confidential. But, despite requesting the Police officers to leave us alone, they rejected the request and remained present during our meeting,” he said, revealing details of the meeting.
Udaya Gammanpila also said that Pillayan had broken down crying, questioning if he was being penalised for helping the country defeat the LTTE at the risk of his life and for how many more years he was going to be detained.
Former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as ‘Pillayan’, was detained for 90 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act on 12th April 2025 after being arrested by the CID in Batticaloa on 08th April.
The detention is in connection with the 2006 abduction and disappearance of a university vice chancellor in the Eastern Province. (Newswire)