Speaking to the media today (June 17), Mrs. Sallay said that the admission was made during Human Rights Commission hearing between CID officials, herself, and family representatives. She said that despite prolonged denials regarding the ill-treatment of the former intelligence chief, investigators have now acknowledged that Sallay was removed from his holding cell and searched naked in front of other detainees.
Mrs. Sallay expressed grave concerns over her husband’s rapidly deteriorating health, confirming that his condition has now reached a critical stage. Sallay, who was arrested in February under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks investigation, recently launched a "fast unto death" hunger strike to protest his ongoing detention and alleged mistreatment.
According to his wife, Sallay continues to refuse food and fluids, leaving medical staff to sustain him through minimal intravenous intervention. She described him as being in an extremely weak state, noting that he experiences severe difficulty speaking, is unable to sit upright for extended periods, and suffers from extensive swelling in his arms due to prolonged cannula usage.
The developments follow a parallel inquiry by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), which recently summoned CID officials to investigate formal complaints of torture and degrading conditions within the detention facility. While opposition factions and family members demand immediate intervention on humanitarian grounds, state officials have maintained that legal and judicial processes concerning the 2019 terror attacks must proceed in accordance with due process.
