Sri Lanka's former Navy commander arrested in connection with kidnapping incident

Colombo, Jul 28 (PTI) Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, the former commander of the Sri Lankan Navy, was on Monday arrested in connection with an investigation into a kidnapping incident, officials said.

The incident that took place in the northwestern region of Pothuhera dates back to the period when Ulugetenne served as the Director of Naval Intelligence, they added.

Ulugetenne was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The abductee has complained that the illegal detention centre was operating under Uluhetenne’s watch, officials said.

Ulugetenne was produced before the magistrate at Polgahawela, who ordered him to be remanded until July 30.

He headed the Navy from 2020 to 2022 and was later appointed Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Cuba.

His predecessor, Wasantha Karannagoda, was also implicated in the abduction of a group of Tamil minority youth in the height of the government troops’ final battle with the LTTE. PTI ZH ZH