Police wise after event on Zahran’s motives

Kattankudy Police OIC M.P. Kasthuriarachchi and Kattankudy Police former OIC Ariyabandu Wedagedara testify in front of the Special Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday attacks yesterday – Pic by Chamila Karunarathne

• OIC and former OIC Kattankudy Police appear before PSC
• Say Zahran was noted for causing hostility among Muslim sects but no signs of terrorist involvement
• Former OIC explains events that led to issuing of arrest warrant against Zahran
• Zahran was not seen in area after March 2017 and was absconding with two others

 

By Chandani Kirinde

While the mastermind of the Easter Sunday terror attacks Zahran Hashim was on the Police radar since 2014 for causing hostility between various Islamic sects in the Kattankudy area, he was not viewed as someone who could become a terrorist, a Police officer who testified before a Parliamentary Committee said yesterday.

“This was just like a tsunami which we knew about only after it came and hit us and went away. We got to know how dangerous he (Zahran) was also only after the terror attacks,” Kattankudy Police Station former OIC Chief Inspector Ariyabandu Wedagedera told the Parliament Select Committee (PSC) probing the terror attacks.

“There are several sects of Muslims in the area and they have ideological differences. The majority are from traditional Muslim religious groups as well as groups such as Sufis. But among them was the radical group called the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) led by Zahran Hashim. Most people in the area were opposed to this group,” CI Wedagedera who served as OIC Kattankudy from August 2014 to August 2017 said.

He said there were around 54 mosques in 2014 with many different ideologies being preached in them and while clashes between them happened from time to time, they did not escalate into dangerous levels till 2017.

“While there were clashes between different sects, they would not be interpreted as a rise in extremisms. Zahran was a problem in the area and I have myself stopped him from holding four meetings by getting court orders. Most times they seek permission to hold meetings saying they are going to speak against drugs and other social evils but end up speaking against other groups. We tried to stop them, they sought the help of courts and I was told by the court to let them conduct anti-drug abuse campaigns. They obtain permits for social work and use them to insult other groups,” he said.

CI Wedagedera said that it was during his time as OIC that an arrest warrant was issued for Zahran’s arrest after members of the NTJ attacked a group of Sufi Muslims injuring several of them. “It was on 10 March 2017 when the two groups clashed. I arrived at the scene as soon as I got to now of the incident and I saw Zahran there. There were around 100-150 involved in the clash. We made nine arrests in all, some the same night and others the following day but these were the ones who were caught attacking others. Zahran, his brother Rilwan and another of his close associates Army Mohideen could not be found the next day. They had left the area and were not seen again,” he said.

Meanwhile Kattankudy OIC IP Nishantha Kasturiarachchi who also appeared before the PSC yesterday said that a few days before the Easter Sunday attacks, he had been investigating the explosion of a motorcycle in the area.

The OIC said that on 17 April, a person came to the Police and informed that a motorcycle had been set on fire in his land at Palamunai. “I visited the site and knew that the fire was a result of an explosion. The land was 43 acres in size and is in an isolated area. I took the necessary steps to call in the Government Analyst and track down from where the motorcycle was purchased and other details and alert the higher authorities,” he said.

The OIC said that when he took over in August 2017, there was an arrest warrant for Zahran, his brother Rilwan and another person known as Army Mohideen. “They had fled the area at the time I assumed duties and though we were on the lookout for them, we did not get any information about their whereabouts,” he said.

The OIC said that after the March 2017 clash, 13 persons had been taken into custody and they had been on bail but used to report to the Police Station on the last day of each month.

“They belonged to Zahran’s group. There were charges against that group for engaging in violent activities and criticising other religious groups. They came to the Police on the last day of every month to report there as per a court order,” he said.

He said all of them are now under arrest in connection with the terror attacks.

The PSC comprised of Chairman Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri and Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Prof. Ashu Marasinghe, Dr. Jayampathi Wickremeratne, Rauff Hakeem, M.A. Sumanthiran, and Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka.