Court refuses to lift order against monks’ protest near Buddha statue
The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday rejected a motion seeking to withdraw an order prohibiting a group of Buddhist monks from occupying the area near the Buddha statue at Viharamahadevi Park, while staging a Satyagraha, demanding the release of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama refused the request after considering […]
The Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court has denied a request to lift an order that restricted Buddhist monks from occupying the area near a Buddha statue in Viharamahadevi Park, where they were staging a Satyagraha to demand the release of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera. The court's Chief Magistrate, Asanga S. Bodaragama, made the decision after hearing arguments from a team of lawyers, including President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne, on behalf of the monks.
Gunaratne had asked the court to either withdraw the existing order or modify it to permit the monks to remain in the vicinity while continuing their Satyagraha. However, the Chief Magistrate rejected both the request to lift the order and the request to issue arrest warrants against those allegedly breaking the court order. Magistrate Bodaragama stated that there was not enough evidence presented to warrant the issuance of arrest warrants at this time.
He added that, if necessary, the police could take the appropriate action under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
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