Over 60 CID officers assigned to probe

Z Riyaj Bathiudeen was arrested on April 14, 2020 in Puttalam, on charges of aiding and abetting terrorists

More than 60 CID officers were assigned to investigate the release of former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen’s brother Riyaj Bathiudeen, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said.

Riyaj Bathiudeen was released on October 12 by the CID citing lack of evidence. DIG Rohana said several accusations were made against the Police following his release.

Therefore, the attention of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Kamal Gunaratne had been drawn to conduct an internal investigation in this regard, the spokesman said. The investigation is being carried out considering seven criteria, under the newly appointed Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).

Accordingly, two Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP) were to carry out investigations on the instructions of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), CID.

“One Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and two teams of sixty police officers were also deployed to conduct the internal investigation,” he said.

Furthermore, DIG Rohana said, one team of officers were to investigate on three counts, while the other team had been assigned to investigate on four counts. Each team consists of 30 CID officers.

Riyaj Bathiudeen was arrested on April 14, 2020 in Puttalam, on charges of aiding and abetting terrorists who carried out the Easter Sunday terror attack on April 21, 2019. He was released on bail on September 29 this year. Later Bathiudeen filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal on October 13 seeking an order to prevent his re-arrest.