Fake Professor Rohan Under Scrutiny for Several Allegations
A formal complaint to the Ministry of Public Security by civil activist has laid bare a string of serious allegations against self-styled “terrorism expert” Rohan Gunaratna — from peddling dangerously divisive content to questions over his academic credentials, sexual misconduct claims, and how he gained access to high-profile detainees.
The complaint, addressed to the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security in Battharamulla, calls for an immediate police inquiry into Gunaratna’s activities. It also urges the Inspector General of Police to bar law enforcement officers from relying on information provided by him, citing a proven record of falsehoods.
A Fake Expert with a Dubious Certification
Gunaratna frequently holds himself out as a professor and counter-terrorism specialist. However, critics point out that genuine counter-terror expertise is built through service in law enforcement or intelligence agencies — not merely attending detention interviews and repackaging detainee statements as original analysis. Detractors argue this is exactly how Gunaratna constructed his persona: by gaining access to interrogation rooms, then marketing himself as an authority.
His academic standing is equally questionable. Central to his credentials is a certification from Rajarathnam — an institution not recognised as a legitimate university by credible academic bodies. The complaint underscores that no authentic professor of counter-terrorism would rest their authority on such a foundation.
Why Can’t He Travel to Singapore and Australia?
Multiple sources now raise a troubling question: why is Rohan Gunaratna unable to travel to Singapore and Australia? While no official explanation has been given, speculation is growing that the travel restrictions are linked to unresolved allegations of sexual misconduct. Neither Gunaratna nor his representatives have publicly addressed these claims, deepening the scrutiny.
Complaints by Female Students at KDU
Adding to the shadows over his conduct are persistent, unconfirmed reports that several female students at the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) have filed complaints against Gunaratna. The nature of the grievances has not been publicly detailed, but the existence of multiple complaints has become a focal point of concern among university circles. The complaint filed with the Ministry now places these issues squarely in the public domain.
The Easter Sunday Access Riddle
Perhaps the most alarming allegation relates to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Gunaratna was reportedly granted direct access to interview the attackers while they were in Sri Lankan custody. The circumstances under which a civilian — lacking any official police or intelligence standing — was allowed to question the country’s most sensitive detainees remains unexplained. This extraordinary access has long been cited as the cornerstone of Gunaratna’s “expert” narrative, but the complaint now demands to know who authorised it and why.
Inflammatory, False, and Harmful Publications
The formal complaint details specific recent social media posts and articles by Gunaratna that it describes as “maliciously false content, harmful to the unity between communities.”
· A Facebook video posted around 7 April 2025 originally carried the description: “Be very careful in the future for whom you protest. You don’t want to be protestors of terrorists.” The description was later altered, but Google’s cache preserved the original.
· In August 2025, Gunaratna published an article smearing the global pro-Palestine movement, describing it as a vehicle that “lends credence to a fanatical, death-cult like Hamas.” The complaint counters that the movement in Sri Lanka and elsewhere consists overwhelmingly of peaceful, multi-ethnic, multi-faith advocates calling for an end to war and genocide.
· Another August 2025 piece, citing unnamed “intelligence information,” alleged the existence of a “pro-Palestinian resistance network.” The article explicitly entangled Sri Lanka’s peaceful Free Palestine Movement and the wider Muslim community with this supposed network, an act the complaint brands a malicious and racist demonisation harmful to inter-communal unity.
The complainant, an active non-Muslim member of the Free Palestine Movement in Sri Lanka, states bluntly: “My involvement … has nothing to do with ethnicity or religion, has always been about voicing for peace, humanity and justice.”
A Court Has Already Ruled Him a Liar
The pattern of falsehood is not new. In February 2011, Gunaratna alleged in Lakbima News that the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) was a front for the LTTE. The CTC sued. On 21 January 2014, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled against Gunaratna, ordering him to pay $37,000 in damages plus $16,000 in costs. The judge stated that Gunaratna’s claims were unequivocally and incontrovertibly “false and untrue.”
Call for Action
In light of all this, the complaint to the Ministry of Public Security makes two formal requests:
1. Direct the Inspector General of Police to conduct an immediate inquiry and enforce the law under suitable provisions against Rohan Gunaratna.
2. Issue circulars preventing law enforcement officers from using any information provided by Mr. Gunaratna, given his established record of falsification.
With the complaint now lodged, pressure is mounting on authorities to answer the many questions swirling around the man who has, for years, passed himself off as Sri Lanka’s foremost terrorism expert — but may ultimately be remembered as a fabricated professor whose career was built on access he should never have had.