While Indian security agencies have not found evidence of Sri Lankan bomber Zahran Hashim or his aides having visited India before the April 21 Easter Sunday attacks, it is learnt that Sri Lankan investigators are working on leads pointing to Hashim’s travel to the Maldives in the recent past, the Times of India reported.

“A thorough scan of our immigration records failed to throw up any evidence of travel by Hashim or other Sri Lankan bombers to India in the past months and years. It is also equally unlikely that they gained illegal entry into India via sea route as that would have required a proper network of local aides to arrange their safe landing here,” a senior intelligence functionary told TOI.

Inquiries by investigators showed that state police and other agencies had not confirmed the existence a local network of National Tawheed Jamaat in south India, or at least one that would be associated with the Lankan terror group.

An intelligence official said while NTJ may share some ideological affinity with radical Indian outfits, including perhaps Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath, there is no lead pointing to any active links or networking among them that would have contributed to the Islamic State-inspired terror bombings in churches and five-star hotels in Sri Lanka.

Sources here indicated that it was possible that Hashim may have spent a few months in 2017-18, when he is said to have gone underground, in the Maldives. Maldives itself has reported a high rate of radicalisation among its youth by Islamic State and Al Qaida.

More than 200 Maldivians are said to have gone to Syria or Iraq in 2014. There has been concern over the return of these individuals and a latent radicalisation of sections of the population.

An officer in the Indian security establishment said there was no question of the Sri Lankan attackers travelling all the way to Kashmir, as suggested earlier by Sri Lankan Army chief Mahesh Senanayake.

He had, in an interview to BBC, claimed that some of the members had visited Kashmir, Kerala and Bengaluru as per information “available with us”. However, during a visit to India on Friday, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena denied having received any report of the Easter Sunday bombers’ travel to India.

According to sources in the Indian security establishment, many Sri Lankan Muslims had travelled to Pakistan between 2004 and 2010 for a course in Islamic studies offered by Dawah Academy there. Now defunct, Dawah Academy would offer such courses to overseas Muslims based in nations where they were in a minority. It was here that the first seeds of radicalisation are suspected to have been sown.

A man in Mullaitivu District claimed to be the tallest person in Sri Lanka. According to BBC Sinhala Service, Gunasingham Kasenthiran, a former cadre of the proscribed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who lives in Kaiveli, Puthukudiruppu is seven feet two inches tall.

In an effort to nip any discord with India in the bud, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) faction led by Nimal Siripala de Silva as acting chairman called on Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and disassociated itself from remarks by its former Chairman Maithripala Sirisena implicating alleged Indian involvement in orchestrating the Easter Sunday attacks, an informed source said.

The Sri Lankan Rupee has depreciated slightly against the US Dollar at commercial banks in Sri Lanka today (Apr 29) compared to last week. According to Seylan Bank, the buying and selling rates of the US Dollar are unchanged at Rs. 290.50 and Rs. 301, respectively.

An attempt to send a 17-year-old boy abroad on forged travel documents was foiled and two women suspected of their involvement in the racket were arrested by the Border Surveillance Unit of the Department of Immigration and Emigration at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has expressed serious concern over recent remarks made by Minister Tiran Alles, and urging President Ranil Wickremesinghe to remove him from the portfolio of Public Security.

Political tremors are expected on May Day (Wednesday) as members of a few political parties are expected to appear at the UNP May Day rally, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene said over the weekend.

The Anuradhapura High Court on Friday passed a death sentence on five police officers who were found guilty of killing eight Tamil civilians at the Bharathipuram village in Kantale 26 years ago. The sentence was passed by High Court Judge Manoj Thalgodapitiya.

Former Army commander Sarath Fonseka told Parliament today (April 26) that the person who had groomed the main Easter Sunday suicide bomber – Zahran Hashim, is the current head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Maj Gen (Rtd.) Suresh Salley.

Sri Lankan-born Rt Rev Anashuya Fletcher was recently ordained and installed as Assistant Bishop of Wellington, New Zealand. The event was held at the Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul and was attended by over 600 well-wishers.

Australia has decided to donate an aircraft to support maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) including Sri Lanka.

More than 7,000 soldiers who deserted the Sri Lanka Army have received legal discharge during an amnesty period declared by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence.

The Sri Lankan Government has rejected a request for an American research ship to enter Sri Lankan waters. This decision is in line with the Government’s policy of not allowing any research vessel to enter Sri Lankan waters.

Alexis Taylor, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), together with U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung, met with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and other senior government officials to discuss USDA support for Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector, a statement from the US Embassy said.

Refuting reports that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa avoided meeting visiting Iranian President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi, SJB MP Nalin Bandara said yesterday that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa did not get an appointment from the Iranian Embassy to meet the Iranian President.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam on Thursday accused the infamous Tripoli platoon, a paramilitary intelligence unit, of involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019.

The ruling alliance, led by the Podu Jana Peramuna, popularly known as the Buds Party, has endorsed Ranil Wickremasinghe as its candidate for the upcoming Presidential Elections, set to take place in the third week of October, according to a reliable inside source.

ormer Minister Basil Rajapaksa met Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha yesterday (27) and discussed. The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka conveyed a X message regarding the meeting, highlighting discussions on matters of mutual interest, including the political situation.

A 30-year-old man was arrested by the Biyagama Police in Kaduwela for possession of a substantial haul of narcotics. Police said the suspect was carrying 15 kilograms of ICE, 14 kilograms of hash and 941 grams of heroin at the time of the arrest.

Ahead of the presidential election scheduled for October this year, the foreign powers have ramped up their efforts in the assessment of ground political developments as was in the case of vital elections in the past.

Refuting reports that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa avoided meeting visiting Iranian President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi, SJB MP Nalin Bandara said today that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa did not get an appointment from the Iranian Embassy to meet the Iranian President.