Zahran known to Kattankudy Police since 2014

Easter Sunday attack mastermind Zahran Hashim was known to the Kattankudy Police from at least 2014 as a troublemaker owing to his tendency of insulting other Muslim sects publicly during meetings he held, leading to conflicts in the area, a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) heard on Tuesday (Jun 18). 

By Sandun Jayawardana

Easter Sunday attack mastermind Zahran Hashim was known to the Kattankudy Police from at least 2014 as a troublemaker owing to his tendency of insulting other Muslim sects publicly during meetings he held, leading to conflicts in the area, a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) heard on Tuesday (Jun 18). 

Testifying before the PSC, Chief Inspector (CI) A.B. Wedagedara, who was Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Kattankudy Police from August 1, 2014 to July 28, 2017, said complaints against Zahran and his group, National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) had come in every year from the time he took over as OIC.

"The complaints all related to him publicly criticizing and insulting other Muslim sects using loudspeakers while holding meetings. This would lead to a situation where those he was insulting would throw rocks. This was the main issue facing us at the time," he told the PSC, adding that there were no complaints of Zahran being engaged in terrorism or violent extremism at the time. 

Asked why police continued to give permits to Zahran to use loudspeakers if he was provoking other Muslims, CI Wedagedara said he stopped four of Zahran's meetings after obtaining court orders against them during his time as OIC. However, he claimed Zahran and his group would complain about human rights violations when this was done. Even the courts questioned police as to why they were trying to prevent these meetings as it was a matter of religious freedom, the former OIC said.

CI Wedagedara revealed that he went to the scene of the clash between Zahran's NTJ and a group of Sufi Muslims on March 10, 2017 and that he saw Zahran at the site of the clash, but was unable to arrest him.

"About 100-150 people were involved in the clash at the time and it was difficult for us to identify those involved. I recognized Zahran only as he was known to police. We identified some of the other suspects only later through CCTV footage," he said. 

Police arrested 13 suspects over the incident, but Zahran, his brother Rilwan and another individual identified as "Army Mohideen" managed to evade police though warrants were obtained for their arrest, he further told the PSC. 

"Army Mohideen," who was believed to have been a military informant, was also a prominent figure in the area and was often involved in clashes that erupted between supporters of rival political parties. CI Wedagedara said "Army Mohideen" had been working under Eastern Provincial Council Member Sibly Farook. 

The former OIC stated that he is aware that "Army Mohideen" was arrested by police in Kalkudah following the Easter Sunday attacks and that he is now in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). 

Meanwhile, current OIC of the Kattankudy Police, IP M.P. Kasthuriarachchi, who also gave evidence before the PSC, said that though Kattankudy Police under him made efforts to track down Zahran and his brother who were absconding over the March 10, 2017 clash, they could not trace them. "We don't believe they were in Kattankudy after the clash and the last report from the local Grama Niladhari, in February, this year, noted that they weren't in Kattankudy."

Nevertheless, the other suspects arrested over the incident, who were in remand custody for almost a year over the incident, had all been out on bail at the time of the Easter Sunday attacks, the OIC stated.

"They reported to the Kattankudy Police on the last day of every month and did so up until the attacks," IP Kasthuriarachchi said. Two of the individuals who were arrested and released on bail, identified as Zahran's father and another brother, Zaini, subsequently blew themselves up when cornered by security forces at the safe house in Sainthamaruthu.

All the suspects who are still alive and who were initially arrested over the clash with Sufi Muslims are now in custody in connection with their alleged involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks, it was further revealed. 

(Pics by Sameera Weerasekara)