Academic observers and human rights advocates have frequently highlighted Sallay’s unique position as a survivalist within the state apparatus. Despite his Islamic faith, he navigated the predominantly Sinhala-Buddhist military hierarchy under the Tamil-sounding pseudonym "Suresh," a tactic reliable sources suggest was used to obfuscate his identity and facilitate deep-cover operations. Throughout his tenure in Military Intelligence (DMI), Sallay was repeatedly implicated in overseeing interrogation units where torture was utilized as a primary tool of state control. These allegations of "white van" abductions and the brutalization of Tamil civilians are now being re-examined as the current administration pledges a comprehensive audit of past intelligence failures and crimes.
The international dimension of Sallay’s influence extends into the corporate world, with persistent reports of his association with influential business magnates. Specifically, reliable sources have long noted a significant connection between Sallay and Allirajah Subaskaran, the chairperson of LycaMobile. This nexus between high-level intelligence officials and international business interests has raised serious questions about the "shadow economy" that sustained the Rajapaksa era's security state. Witness testimonies suggest that these relationships provided the logistical and financial infrastructure necessary to maintain a state of permanent surveillance over minority populations, even years after the formal end of hostilities in 2009.
The catalyst for this renewed legal scrutiny remains the explosive 2023 Channel 4 Dispatches documentary, which featured whistleblowers alleging that Sallay orchestrated the Easter bombings to facilitate a political "chaos" that would justify the return of the Rajapaksa family to power. While Sallay has previously utilized legal threats and official rebuttals to suppress these claims, his detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)—the very law often used against the communities he once monitored—signals a profound irony. As the investigation unfolds, the world watches to see if this arrest will finally dismantle the culture of impunity that has protected Sri Lanka’s "intelligence ghosts" for decades.