Douglas Peiris: Fugitive Behind Batalanda's Dark Secrets

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Batalanda Commission Report, which has recently been tabled in Parliament, has sparked significant debate and calls for justice. A parliamentary debate on the report is scheduled for the 10th of next month.

Among the key testimonies is that of former military officer Indrananda de Silva, who provided an eyewitness account of the atrocities committed at the Batalanda torture camp.

De Silva claims that Douglas Peiris, a police officer allegedly responsible for these crimes, is still alive and hiding in Sri Lanka, contrary to rumors of his death abroad.

De Silva asserts that if Peiris is arrested, it could lead to the apprehension of other key figures involved in these heinous acts, including Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

He emphasizes that Peiris, who was granted bail by the Court of Appeal, has been evading capture under the guise of being deceased.

The report also includes the harrowing account of Thissa Pelipana, who was abducted on January 31, 1989, while serving as a monk.

Pelipana was taken to the Batalanda torture camp, where he was brutally interrogated and tortured. He revealed that he was stripped naked, beaten, and burned, and that a female police inspector, Padmini Premalatha, was among those who assaulted him.

Pelipana was eventually released after intervention from a senior government politician and later renounced his monastic life. His testimony raises critical questions about the nature of these crimes and the need for justice.

As the debate approaches, the public continues to question whether these crimes will be addressed and justice served.