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Homagama protest: More arrests soon
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Lawyers of Ven. Gnanasara Thera arriving in court to hand over the bail application. Pic by Nilan Maligaspe
Two police teams have been deployed to identify and arrest the suspects who staged an unruly protest outside the Homagama Magistrate courts after the General Secretary of the Bodhu Bala Sena Ven Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera was remanded on Tuesday.
A senior police officer said the teams had been deployed following the Homagama Magistrate’s order to arrest those who caused damage to police vehicles and state property and those who jumped over the wall and came into the court premises after the police closed the main gate in view of the unruly demonstration.
He said police officers were going through video footage and photographs to identify the suspects before moving in to arrest them.
The Sunday Times learns several Buddhist monks are also to be arrested on charges of obstructing police and prison officers from carrying out their duties and disturbing the public peace.
BBS spokesman Dilantha Vithanage said up to 30 of their supporters could be arrested and they would take measures to defend them in court.
Some 200 supporters of Ven. Gnanasara Thera protested outside the court premises on Tuesday after the Magistrate remanded the monk till February 9 for contempt of court.
On Monday, the monk addressed the judge from the spectators’ bench and is alleged to have threatened Sandya Ekneligoda, wife of missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda when she was attending the case against six soldiers arrested in connection with the journalist’s disappearance.
Following a complaint from Ms. Ekneligoda and lawyers, Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake ordered the arrest of the monk.
On Tuesday, police and prison officers could not take the monk to the Welikada prisons because of the angry demonstration that lasted for six hours. Police officers backed by Special Task Force personnel finally took the prelate in a jeep to the Welikada remand prison, driving through the unruly protesters.
The monk was later transferred to the prisons hospital, though he had earlier vowed that he would not find shelter in the prison’s hospital if he was ever arrested.
Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila, Jathika Hela Urumaya Western Provincial Council member Nishantha Waranasinghe, several monks and supporters of the BBS visited the prisons hospital to see the monk, BBS spokesman Vithanage said.
The group was to hold a pooja at the Dalada Maligawa, Kandy yesterday to invoke blessings on the remanded monk.
On Thursday a bail application filed on behalf of Ven. Gnanasara Thera was turned down on the grounds that the monk was instrumental in organising the protest and that it would be an insult to the judiciary.
Attorney Sumudu Kantha Hevage appearing for the monk prayed the court to consider the temperament of his client. He said the monk had behaved in this manner because of the passion he had for the nation and the Sasana. Claiming the monk was ignorant of th law, the lawyer pleaded that the monk be released on bail.
Raising objections Attorney Sudath Wickremaratne who represented the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, said the monk should not be given bail since the monk was facing several court cases for breaking the peace.