A confidential letter sent by the Director of the Western Provincial Intelligence Division to the Senior DIG of the Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon is currently being shared on social media networks as well as WhatsApp groups.
The article states that there is a WhatsApp group called InterSchool and that information should be given to those who do not want to join if invited. According to the article, the group belongs to the Dash organization ISIS and cannot be withdrawn if it joins the group. The Director of Intelligence has requested the Senior DIG to conduct an immediate investigation into the matter.
This letter was taken by Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon to inform all DIGs’ offices in Colombo. The DIG’s office has sent the letter to all relevant police stations.
The letter was also sent to the Divisional Secretaries from those police stations.
As this article continues to circulate, Police Headquarters is telling a different story. That the message being conveyed is untrue.
Police Media Spokesperson, SSP Nihal Thalduwa said in a press release that the message being spread on WhatsApp was false and that there was no need to worry about the social media coverage of a WhatsApp group.
Police further say that the relevant WhatsApp message was about an unconfirmed fact.
The Police Media Spokesman stated that information received by the Security Forces regarding a further investigation is being circulated on social media, the Police Media Spokesman said.
He also said that disclosure of documents or records secretly reported by the intelligence services is an offense punishable under the State Secrets Act and its publication is an offense punishable under the Computer Act.
The Police Headquarters also warns the public not to spread such information on social media or in any other way as it is an offense punishable under criminal law.
What the police should do is find out who sent such a secret message. But aside from that, they are trying to intimidate the public.
We recall that two police officers in the fort were also suspended for informing hotels on the instructions of the Senior DIG about a warning received again after the Easter attack. They had only followed the instructions of senior police officers. But eventually the water receded from the bottom.
However, one should think twice about the socialization of such secret articles as a threat to national security. If the letter we received about the Easter attack had been socialized then we would have been able to escape from that tragedy.