Long shadow of Prageeth Eknaligoda’s disappearance

Fifteen years after the chilling disappearance of journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda, we are once again reminded of the long and painful struggle for justice, mostly waged by his spouse Sandya. This week, in a small but significant development, the main suspect in the case was taken into custody—not for the disappearance itself, but for allegedly intimidating a witness. While this arrest is a welcome step forward, it is also a grim reminder of how far justice still is for Eknaligoda, his family, and for the principles of press freedom and accountability in Sri Lanka. 

Eknaligoda disappeared on 24 January 2010, just two days before the Presidential election. His wife, Sandya Eknaligoda, has since become a symbol of courage and perseverance, tirelessly campaigning for truth and justice in the face of apathy, threats, and systemic obstruction. Investigations have pointed to a horrifying sequence of events: Eknaligoda is believed to have been abducted, held at the Girithale army camp, and subsequently killed, with his body never recovered.

The commander of the Girithale camp at the time, along with 10 members of the military intelligence wing, are currently indicted in this case. Yet, despite these indictments, the judicial process has been agonisingly slow, marred by constant delays, institutional interference, and political manipulation. Witnesses have been threatened, evidence suppressed, and hearings postponed—common tactics in cases where the accused have powerful patrons or operate under the shadow of State authority.

This is not simply a case of military wrongdoing. It is emblematic of a deeper and more disturbing reality: the entrenched impunity for crimes committed by or on behalf of the State. The Sri Lankan judiciary, despite its constitutional mandate, has repeatedly failed to hold those in power accountable. The Eknaligoda case shows how justice becomes elusive when crimes are politically motivated, and when those responsible occupy or are protected by the highest echelons of power.

It is critical to remember that the officers involved in this heinous act, members of military intelligence and the commander of the Girithale camp, had no personal vendetta against Eknaligoda. They acted under orders. Which raises the most fundamental and still unanswered question: who gave those orders? 

The military does not function in a vacuum. It takes its directives from the political leadership. Eknaligoda was an outspoken critic of the regime, and his investigative work had begun to shine light on sensitive issues. His disappearance was not a random act—it was politically motivated. Until the individual or individuals at the top of the command chain are held to account, justice will remain incomplete.

In a democracy, no one, not even the most powerful, is above the law. For Sri Lanka to truly move forward and rebuild its broken institutions, it must demonstrate that justice applies equally to all. The Eknaligoda case is a litmus test for that commitment. It is not just about one man’s disappearance, but about whether the country will confront its violent past, end the culture of impunity, and respect the rights and dignity of all its citizens, including the tens of thousands subjected to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings by the State in the last 50 years.

As the case proceeds, the Government, the judiciary, and the public must resist efforts to whitewash or delay justice any further. The international community too must continue to press for transparency and accountability. Justice for Prageeth is not just about closure for one family—it is about restoring faith in the rule of law and reaffirming that the State cannot silence dissent through fear and violence.

Until the full truth is exposed and all those responsible, military and political, are brought to justice, the shadow of this crime will continue to haunt the judiciary and the criminal justice system.