Monks, UNP Organizer Remanded Till 11th Over Trinco Land Dispute

COLOMBO (News 1st); The group including Venerable Balangoda Kassapa Thero, who were arrested in connection with the land dispute in Trincomalee, have been remanded again until the 11th.

This order was issued when the related case was taken up again today before the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court.

Coastal Conservation authorities had granted time to remove a restaurant that was being operated on a coastal plot in Trincomalee, when a group from Colombo also intervened and launched a protest.

During the protest, Venerable Balangoda Kassapa Thero and several others installed a Buddha statue at the location, and a tense situation arose when a senior police officer in the area attempted to intervene.

The protesters claimed that the land had been allocated to the Sri Sambuddhatva Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya during the tenure of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Following investigations into the incident, the police arrested 10 suspects and produced them before the court.

Venerable Balangoda Kassapa Thero, who is said to have led and organized the protest,
Venerable Trincunamalaye Kalyanawanshatissa Thero, the Chief Incumbent of the Trincomalee Sri Sambuddhatva Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya, Venerable Trincunamalaye Sukhithawansha Tissa Thero, and Venerable Trincunamalaye Nanda Thero were among those arrested.

In addition, UNP Trincomalee organizer Deepani Liyanage, said to have mediated in operating the restaurant on rent, along with Viduranga Lokugalappatti, L.T. Perera, Piyal Premasiri, Dulara Gunathilaka, Sudheepa Liyanage, and Sugath Prasanna were also named as suspects in the case.

The suspects were once again produced before Trincomalee Chief Magistrate M.S.M. Samsudeen this morning.

Since a bail application related to the case was scheduled to be taken up today before the High Court, the Magistrate postponed the proceedings.

The bail application was considered today before Trincomalee High Court Judge Abdulla Maharoof. 

Appearing for the Attorney General, State Counsel Kalana Kothalawala stated that objections to granting bail would be filed.
The State Counsel requested time for this purpose.

The High Court Judge granted the request and postponed the case until the 11th.

Thereafter, the case pending before the Magistrate’s Court was also reviewed again, and the Magistrate decided to postpone that case too until the 11th.

Accordingly, the suspects were ordered to remain in remand custody until that date.

A number of individuals, including politicians, had gathered near the court complex during today’s proceedings.