Case Against Atamasthanadhipathi Fixed for May 15

COLOMBO (News 1st); Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Siyapath Sasidu Wickramaratne today declined to issue an order to re‑remand Atamasthanadhipathi Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thera.

The decision was delivered when the relevant case was taken up again before the Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate’s Court.

During proceedings, the Magistrate explained that prison officials had informed the court that the suspect monk had been remanded until today under an order issued by Magistrate No. 08 of the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, and that instructions had also been given to produce him before the Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate’s Court today. However, the Magistrate pointed out that the court had not yet received the said Colombo Magistrate’s order confirming either the remand or the directive to produce the suspect before this court.

In the absence of the relevant order and given that the suspect was not produced before the Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate’s Court, the Magistrate stated that there was no legal authority to issue a further remand order.

The Magistrate further noted that, under the current circumstances, any order to further remand the suspect should be issued only by the Magistrate who had examined the suspect and issued the existing remand order.

Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered that the case be taken up again before the Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate’s Court on the 15th of this month.

The police were also instructed to submit a report on the progress of investigations on that date.

When the case was taken up, the Officer‑in‑Charge of the Nittambuwa Police, Chief Inspector Anura Gunawardena, informed court that statements still needed to be recorded from several additional individuals in connection with the ongoing investigations.

President’s Counsel Kalinga Indrathissa, appearing on behalf of suspect Pallegama Hemarathana Thera, strongly denied allegations that his client had sexually abused a minor girl. 

He further alleged that doctors, lawyers, various professionals, and members of the general public had already conducted a trial on social media and delivered verdicts regarding the incident.

A medical report of the suspect, forwarded by the Welikada Remand Prison through the Anuradhapura Prison authorities, was also presented to court. Prison officials stated that the suspect monk was not in a suitable medical condition to be transported over a long distance and that he required several specialist medical examinations, making it impossible to produce him before court today.

Appearing for the complainant were officers including the Chief Inspectors attached to the Nittambuwa and Anuradhapura Police headquarters, as well as officers from the Anuradhapura Police Children and Women’s Bureau.

Nearly 30 lawyers from Anuradhapura appeared on behalf of suspect Pallegama Hemarathana Thera.

The suspect monk was arrested by the Nittambuwa Police on the night of the 8th at a private hospital in Colombo, in accordance with a warrant issued by the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court over allegations of sexually abusing a 15‑year‑old girl.

Subsequently, Magistrate No. 08 of the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court ordered that the suspect be remanded until today.