Pujith Jayasundara

Pujith Jayasundara, the former Inspector General of Police in Sri Lanka, has been sentenced to death by a three-judge bench. The conviction stems from his criminal negligence in failing to prevent the coordinated Easter Sunday bombings in 2019, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 260 to 279 people, including foreign nationals. The court ruled that Jayasundara, along with another former Defence Ministry official, neglected intelligence warnings that could have averted the attacks. This sentencing makes him a significant figure in the ongoing legal proceedings related to one of Sri Lanka's deadliest terrorist incidents. Jayasundara, 66, has the right to appeal the majority decision. The case highlights accountability for security lapses during the period leading up to the bombings, which were attributed to a domestic Islamist extremist group.