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A Sri Lankan court has imposed a foreign travel ban on former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, marking a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the deadly 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The Colombo Fort Magistrate ordered immigration authorities to prevent Rajapaksa and two other military intelligence officers from leaving the country, citing potential obstacles to the investigation.

While Rajapaksa has not been formally named a suspect, this is the first time he has been directly linked to the case as a "person of interest." The ban comes as investigators widen their probe into the coordinated attacks that targeted hotels and churches, resulting in the deaths of 279 people, including 45 foreigners, and wounding over 500.

Rajapaksa’s then-intelligence chief, Suresh Sallay, a retired major general, has been detained since February. He stands accused of orchestrating the attacks, an allegation he denies. Sallay was appointed chief of the State Intelligence Service in 2019 shortly after Rajapaksa became president. The court's decision underscores the deepening scrutiny on individuals connected to the former administration and the intelligence apparatus in relation to the bombings.

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Should these three individuals travel abroad, it would be an obstacle to continuing investigations.