Colombo (PTI): Sri Lanka's new government has ordered the police to reinvestigate some high-profile cases, including the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks and the 2005 murder of a Tamil minority community journalist.

The ruling National People's Power, which won the presidential election last month, pledged to reinvestigate past cases which had not been resolved.

The Ministry of Public Security took action to identify any lapses in investigations.

“The ministry has asked the acting police chief that these cases should be reinvestigated," Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said on Saturday.

The cases to be reinvestigated include the alleged scam in the issue of Central Bank bonds in 2015 blamed on the then government of Ranil Wickremesinghe, the former president, and the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed over 270 people, including 11 Indians.

The catholic church has been demanding stringent action on what they alleged was a politically motivated cover-up by previous governments on the attacks.

Among the other cases that are to be investigated are the 2005 murder of Tamil minority community Journalist D Sivaram and the 2006 abduction and disappearance of a Tamil minority academic who headed the Eastern University at the time.

The 2011 disappearance of two political party activists in the northern capital of Jaffna is also on the list.

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Budaun (UP) (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government has shunted the Circle Officer of the area in connection with the recent killing of two senior officials at an HPCL compressed biogas plant in the district, officials said on Sunday.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Hirdesh Katheriya said that Ujhani Circle Officer Devendra Singh has been attached to the Police headquarters in Lucknow, and Rahul Pandey of UP-112 emergency response service has been posted to Budaun in his place.

The action comes a day after the state government transferred Senior Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar Singh following the double murder at the plant in Sejni village in the Musajhag area.

Meanwhile, under the directions of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Bareilly divisional commissioner to conduct a detailed probe into the incident.

The incident took place on Thursday when Sudhir Kumar Gupta, 58, deputy general manager at the facility, and Harshit Sharma, 34, an assistant manager, were shot dead by Ajay Pratap Singh, who was earlier a vendor at the plant here in the district.

The main accused has been arrested, and authorities have also pasted notices on six shops allegedly owned by him in Sejni village that were reportedly constructed over government land, they said, adding that the demolition may be carried out after due procedure.

In view of the incident, authorities have also decided to establish a police outpost inside the plant premises with the deployment of two sub-inspectors and eight police personnel to enhance security.