The Colombo Magistrate’s Court ordered yesterday (06) to remand Sepal Amarasinghe, a social media activist, who was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department on a charge of making an insulting statement to ‘Sri Dalada’.
That was when he was presented before Colombo Additional Magistrate Tharanga Mahawatta.
The CID officers told the court that due to a statement made by the suspect about Dalada through a social media account run by the suspect, there has been a great disturbance in the Buddhist society and a conflict has been created between two sides in the social media as well. Also, the Director General of Archeology has informed that a mistake has been made through this statement and the CID officials mentioned that Malwathu-Asgiri Mahanayake Theros and Diyawadana Nilame are also ready to give statements in this regard.
Also stating that information has been revealed that the suspect has received money from foreign countries and investigations are being conducted under the Act against the provision of financial support to terrorism and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the officers requested that he be remanded under the ICCPR Act until the 19th.
Namal Rajapaksa, the lawyer who appeared for the suspect, said that his client has posted about 1000 videos on his YouTube channel and through those videos he has advocated for the protection of pure Buddhism from myths and that he has no intention of insulting Buddhism. The lawyer mentioned that the government is preparing to hold a Dalada exhibition in view of the current economic crisis in the country and his client has made this questionable statement by pointing out that such activities cannot suppress the economic crisis. Accordingly, the lawyer said that his client was arrested as a political revenge.
The Additional Magistrate, who considered the facts of both parties, warned the suspect to be more careful in making such statements and ordered him to be remanded until the 10th.
