Grenade inside church: Cardinal challenges police version of incident

Video footage of man who placed bomb released

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday (13) asked whether the recent detection of a hand grenade at All Saints Church, on Ananda Rajakaruna Mawatha, Borella was part of a conspiracy.

The Cardinal questioned the failure on the part of the police to ascertain the identity of an unidentified person who entered the Church at 9.52 am on Tuesday (11). The Church released the video footage of a man carrying a shopping bag entering the premises. He was also captured on camera taking something out of his pocket and leaving it behind a statue.

Addressing the media in Colombo, the Catholic leader alleged that the police had checked the video footage; he emphasised the need to establish the identity of the person who limped and was not a Catholic.

The Cardinal said that the unidentified person had not prayed and walked away when questioned by someone. The church also released the video footage of the man leaving the church.

The Cardinal challenged the police version of the recovery of the hand grenade. Many churches had installed security cameras even before the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Cardinal said that instead of trying to ascertain the truth the police had detained a person working in the church.

The police said on Wednesday (12) that the Borella police had initiated an investigation after receiving information about the bomb found in All Saints church. The police claimed that the person arrested from the church had used a 13-year-old boy living at a nearby house to move the grenade.

The police said that the suspects in custody, aged 29, 25, 41 and 55, were residents of Dematagoda, Maliboda and Maradana.

The police said that the main suspect and the 13-year-old boy had been produced before Hulftsdorp court Number 2 and a statement had been recorded from the boy.

Police headquarters said that information was released on the basis of investigations conducted so far.

The Cardinal called for proper investigation to establish the truth.