Former state minister ‘Pilleyan’ detained for 90 days

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has obtained a 90-day detention order for former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as ‘Pilleyan’, for further questioning in connection with an ongoing investigation, police confirmed.

Chandrakanthan was arrested by CID officers on Tuesday (April 8) in Batticaloa. Authorities say the investigation is linked to the 2006 disappearance of a university vice chancellor in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, a case that had remained unsolved for nearly two decades.

The 90-day detention was secured under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), allowing the CID to hold the former minister for interrogation as new leads in the cold case emerge.

Chandrakanthan, a former member of the Eastern Provincial Council and a controversial figure in Sri Lankan politics, had previously faced allegations related to paramilitary activities during the country’s civil conflict.

The CID has yet to release further details on the developments leading to his arrest or any potential new evidence in the 2006 disappearance case.