Police have requested a court in north western Sri Lanka to summon the navy commander to provide information to help with investigations into a disappearance in 2010.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed the court that the navy chief has repeatedly failed to provide documents requested by the CID a year ago.
On Wednesday (24), CID submitted their request when Polgahawela Magistrate DRU Udumbara Dassanayake, took up a case involving the abduction, detention at the ‘Gun Site’ underground torture chamber in the Trincomalee navy camp, and disappearance of Shantha Samaraweera of Kegalle 15 years ago.
The Magistrate stated that a decision in this regard would be delivered in two weeks.
Former Navy Commander Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne and former Navy Intelligence Director Sarath Mohotti, who were arrested and are currently in remand prison under suspicion, were not physically present at the Polgahawela Magistrate’s Court on 24 September 2025.
They were produced to court via video conferencing.
In its report, the CID requested the Magistrate’s Court to issue an order for the navy commander to appear in person and provide facts before the court at the next hearing and to submit the relevant reports to assist the investigations. This was due to the Navy Commander failing to provide the reports requested from him since October last year.
Representing the aggrieved party in court, attorney Achala Seneviratne emphasised that full investigative support can be obtained in accordance with the powers vested in a Magistrate through the Code of Criminal Procedure, and that the Navy Commander’s failure to provide the documents requested on 2 October 2024 poses a massive obstacle to future investigations.
She further noted that this situation causes prejudice not only to the affected party, but to defendants as well.
Objecting to attorney Seneviratne’s intervention in the case, the group of attorneys representing the defendants questioned on whose behalf she appeared.
Attorney Seneviratne made it clear that she is appearing for the aggrieved party as instructed by Samaraweera’s sister and the parents of other disappeared persons in this case. Her explanation was accepted by the court.
Earlier, credible evidence revealed that 11 males abducted from Colombo and its suburbs in 2008-09 were held in the Trincomalee ‘Gunsite’ underground navy torture chambers before their disappearance.
Achala Seneviratne represents the family members of the victims in the court case heard at the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.
Taking into account the facts presented by the CID and lawyers, Magistrate Udumbara Dassanayake ordered the case to be taken up again on 8 October 2025 in order to deliver a suitable decision with regard to the CID request to summon the Navy Commander.
The Polgahawela Magistrate further ordered the two suspects, Admiral Ulugetenna and Rear Admiral Mohotti, to be remanded until 8 October 2025.
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