Who is the pervert who watched live the disrobing of Gnanasara Thero?
The discussion regarding the imprisonment of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero and the forcible disrobing of him has now come to a new level. There was not much discussion in society regarding the decision to annul the presidential pardon that had been granted to Gnanasara Thero. Everyone respected that decision. In fact, the criticism was directed at the Department of Prisons and the actions of the government.
But the other day, former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, addressing the Buddhist Grand Conference, dropped another bombshell, saying that verdict was illegal. According to Sarath N. Silva, this 6-year prison sentence imposed exceeding the maximum penalty limit prescribed by law is illegal.
The former Chief Justice says that for an offence of contempt of court that happened in a Magistrate’s Court, the only punishment that can be imposed is a fine not exceeding Rs. 1,500 or simple imprisonment not exceeding 18 months. Sarath N. says that the relevant Magistrate, because his power to punish was limited, reported the matter to the Court of Appeal expecting a severe punishment.
There, the Court of Appeal imposes a 6-year prison sentence. Sarath N. Silva says that the provision for imposing punishment beyond 18 months applies only if it is a contempt of the Court of Appeal itself. He says there is no legal provision to impose a 6-year sentence for an incident that happened in a lower court.
Therefore, the former Chief Justice says that imposing a 6-year prison sentence when the legal maximum is 18 months is an illegal and abnormal situation. Does that mean the conspiracies being carried out against Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero have spread to a wider range than we think?
In fact, saying that this is a conspiracy against Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero contains only a half-truth. This is clearly a conspiracy launched against Buddhism, to destroy the rights of the entire Buddhist people. It is a conspiracy that existed before this government came and accelerated with the arrival of the Malima government.
When you take the names mentioned in connection with this legal process, that suspicion grows even more. On that day in the Homagama court, it was Deputy Solicitor General Dilip Peiris and other investigating officers who were subjected to the censure of Gnanasara Thero. On that day, the one who acted as the judge in the Homagama court was Ranga Dissanayake, the current Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.
According to Sarath N. Silva, the Magistrate who reported the matter to the Court of Appeal in order to give a severe punishment because his power to punish was limited at that time was Ranga Dissanayake. At that time, the one who was serving as the President of the Court of Appeal was the current Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena.
The bench of Court of Appeal judges who heard the charges of contempt of court leveled against Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero for his conduct inside the Homagama Magistrate’s Court in 2016 and imposed punishment was comprised of then President of the Court of Appeal Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Court of Appeal Justice Shiran Gooneratne.
This bench of judges, in the verdict given on 08th August 2018, found Gnanasara Thero guilty of all four charges and imposed 19 years of rigorous imprisonment, ordering it to be implemented as 6 years to be served concurrently. It was while Gnanasara Thero was serving that sentence for more than 09 months that the presidential pardon was given by Maithri at the request of the Maha Nayaka Theros and the Maha Sangha.[Sirisena]
The presidential pardon given by Maithri was challenged before the Supreme Court by Sandya Ekneligoda and the Centre for Policy Alternatives. The judgment of the three-member Supreme Court bench that heard the case was pronounced on 10th September 2026. According to the judgment, the Supreme Court ruled that the presidential pardon granted to Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero was illegal, arbitrary and void (null).
The basis for giving that judgment was that the former President had not properly exercised the powers vested in him by the Constitution, and that legal procedures had been violated when granting the relevant pardon. With this judgment, the Court of Appeal ordered that the remaining period of the 6-year prison sentence imposed on Gnanasara Thero be enforced.
Accordingly, he was re-imprisoned. However, as of this moment, Dilip Peiris, Ranga Dissanayake, Sandya Ekneligoda and Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Centre for Policy Alternatives are standing in line with the political agenda of the government. Therefore, the suspicion that Sarath N. talks about – that this is an illegal punishment – grows further.
The suspicion that behind this conspiracy are separatism, Wahhabism, the Born Again gang and the government is confirmed from all sides. The other day, Professor Ven. Pathegama Gnanissara Thero of the Department of Buddhist and Pali Studies at the Sri Lanka Bhikshu University made a special revelation.
Through prison officials, information about a conspiracy to assassinate Gnanasara Thero had been revealed to him. He states that the expectation of government parties was to create a conflict inside the prison and to spread a fake story suggesting that Gnanasara Thero snatched a pistol and shot himself.
Then it would become another mysterious suicide like Ranga Nishantha, Kapila Chandrasena, C.D. Wickramaratne. And also, according to a revelation made by Udaya Gammanpila, there is a pervert who watched live how Gnanasara Thero was disrobed and dressed in civilian clothes. If there are even anti-Buddhists who get such sadistic pleasure, there is no need to specially say that Gnanasara Thero’s life inside the prison cell is in danger.
Therefore, what should now become the final battle here is to obtain freedom for Gnanasara Thero. According to the Supreme Court decision, Gnanasara Thero is not ineligible to receive a presidential pardon. Therefore, the administrative error that occurred in granting the presidential pardon should be corrected and he should be granted a presidential pardon again.
That is the final goal of this battle. Otherwise, his life is at risk. Those who know the ways of Pelawatta do not need to be told separately about that danger.
Alright then, I’ll be off.
Jayawewa.
Yours,
Rate Rala.
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