Gnanasara Thero Released On Bail

COLOMBO (News 1st); Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabandige granted bail to Venerable Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thero, the General Secretary of Bodubala Sena, who was previously sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment.

This order aligns with the bail terms set by the Court of Appeal.

The decision came into effect after prison officials presented Venerable Gnanasara Thero before the High Court, where the bail conditions were formally communicated to him.

Appeal Court Judges Sampath Abeykoon and P. Kumaratnam had previously sanctioned a cash bail of 50,000 rupees along with two sureties of 500,000 rupees each last Friday, concluding the deliberations on an appeal filed by Gnanasara Thero.

The appeal was in response to the March 28 ruling by the Colombo High Court, which found Venerable Gnanasara Thero guilty on two counts, including incitement of communal disharmony during a 2016 press conference.

Following the initial sentencing, Venerable Gnanasara Thero sought bail from the High Court, which was denied on April 2.

Subsequently, he appealed to the Court of Appeal, which, after reviewing the petition, ordered his conditional release.