Sri Lankan police on Saturday arrested a Muslim leader and member of parliament in connection with the 2019 Easter Bombings, in which nearly 270 people were killed. The lawmaker Rishad Bathiudeen and his brother Reyaj Bathiudeen were arrested in Colombo.
Police said, the brothers were arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the suicide bombers. It said they have not yet been officially charged but were arrested based on direct evidence and also circumstantial and scientific evidence.
Rishad is a former Cabinet minister who currently leads an opposition party in Sri Lanka’s Parliament. Bathiudeen’s lawyer called the arrests politically motivated.
Two local Muslim groups claiming allegiance to IS are said to be behind simultaneous blasts at two Roman Catholic churches, a Protestant church and three tourist hotels.
The arrests came three days after the head of Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Malcolm, accused the government of allowing investigations to stall.
(AIR)
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