Ven. Gnanasara Thero arrested again

The General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organisation, Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thero, has been arrested by the Police Organised Crimes Division.

Police said that the Thero was arrested on charges of obstructing police officers from exercising their duties, threatening police officers and  making hate speeches. 

He is to be produced at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court shortly, a spokesman said.  

Ven. Gnanasara Thero, who surrendered to courts this morning over the arrest warrant against him, was afterwards released on the previous bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate. 

He was later questioned by the Police Organised Crimes Division and taken into custody over an incident in the Welikada area.

The Organised Crimes Division had previously launched investigations to arrest the BBS General Secretary on charges of forcefully entering and sabotaging a press conference held at a hotel in Slave Island (on April 09, 2014) and insulting the Quran. 

UPDATE (3.09pm) - Ven. Gnanasara Thero was released on bail by the court.

Producing the venerable thero before the court, DIG Kamal de Silva of the Organised Crimes Division informed the court that police had no objections towards granting bail to the defendant. 

Colombo Additional Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala reminded that the police had previously informed the court regarding the heinous comments made by the thero regarding torching mosques and identifying the seriousness of such statements he had issued an order in the middle of the night. 

Therefore he inquired from the DIG as to why police have no objections to granting bail to the suspect today.  DIG Kamal de Silva stated that police have no objections towards granting him bail as investigations pertaining to the incident have been completed. 

The magistrate then inquired as why the police department does not follow this course of action with regard to other suspects. 

DIG Kamal de Silva responded saying they will attempt to follow the same action with regard to other suspects in the future. 

Additional Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala stated that he is disappointed by the current state of the police department.

After considering the facts presented, he ordered the thero released on a personal bail of Rs 100,000 and two surety bails of Rs 100,000 each. The case was postponed till August 04.