Lawyers representing former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay, who is in custody over allegations linked to the Easter Sunday terror attacks, informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court that he is at risk of self-harm and requires urgent mental health intervention.
The matter was raised before Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena today (3) through a motion filed by President’s Counsel Shavendra Fernando, Attorney-at-Law Asith Siriwardena, and other lawyers appearing for Salley.
According to the defence, existing judicial medical reports indicate that Sallay is suffering from anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The lawyers further submitted that these mental health conditions stemmed from alleged torture while in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
They also requested that Suresh Salley be referred to an alternative facility for psychiatric treatment in view of his condition.
The matter was taken up through a motion, and at the time of the hearing, no representatives from the CID, the Attorney General’s Department, or counsel appearing for the aggrieved party were present before court.
After considering the submissions, the Magistrate issued notices to the relevant parties and fixed the matter for further consideration at 2 p.m. on 4 June.
