Former Sri Lankan Navy Commander Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations linked to the abduction and murder of an individual in the Pothuhera area, in a case drawing renewed scrutiny over Sri Lanka’s accountability for human rights violations.
According to the Sri Lankan police, Ulugetenne was taken into custody following claims that the victim had been detained in a secret facility reportedly operated under his command during his time as Head of Naval Intelligence. The investigation was reportedly prompted by a letter believed to have originated from within the clandestine detention site.
“We recorded a statement from him regarding the disappearance of a 48-year-old man in 2010 and he was later arrested,” a detective who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to media told Dawn.
Authorities have yet to release further details about the identity of the victim or the precise timeline of the incident.
Ulugetenne’s arrest comes in the wake of previous legal proceedings against another former navy chief, Wasantha Karannagoda, who stands accused of overseeing the abduction, torture, and murder of at least eleven Tamil youths between 2008 and 2009 by naval intelligence officers. Despite credible evidence and the opening of investigations, charges against Karannagoda were dropped in 2021, and he was subsequently appointed governor of the North Western Province.
In March 2025, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on four individuals implicated in war-time atrocities in Sri Lanka, including Karannagoda, in a move welcomed by human rights groups. The UK cited serious violations of human rights during the armed conflict, particularly in cases involving enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
Despite repeated calls from UN bodies and rights organisations for independent investigations into these atrocities, Sri Lankan authorities have continued to deny responsibility for the genocide of Tamils and have been accused of shielding alleged perpetrators from prosecution.
