Activist Sepal Amarasinghe, who was arrested for making statements defaming the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy and Buddhism, has been remanded.
He has been remanded until the 10th of January 2023 after being produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today.
Amarasinghe was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Boralesgamuwa yesterday (05).
His arrest comes after the CID was instructed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to launch investigations into him and Janaka Senadhipathi over defaming the Sri Dalada Maligawa and Buddhism.
The IGP’s directive was issued after President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s attention was drawn to the construction of a fake ‘Sri Dalada Maligawa’ in Pothuhera, Kurunegala.
The Mahanayake Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiriya sectors revealed in a joint letter to the President, video footage circulated on social media platforms by Sepala Amarasinghe containing statements offensive to Buddhism.
Stating that this is causing harm to Buddhism and the historic ‘Sri Dalada Maligawa’, the Mahanayake Theros called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe to immediately take necessary actions in this regard.
