A senior Sri Lankan Buddhist monk and chief prelate of the Anuradhapura Atamasthana, Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, has been remanded until 12 May after being arrested over allegations of abducting and sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl.
Hemarathana Thero was arrested on the night of 8 May while reportedly receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. On Friday, the Colombo Fort Magistrate ordered that he be remanded in custody pending further investigations.
The arrest follows an earlier directive issued by Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Siyapath Sasidu Wickramaratne, who instructed the Nittambuwa Police to immediately arrest both Hemarathana Thero and the girl’s mother in connection with the case.
Police stated that investigations began after a complaint was lodged with the Nittambuwa Police on 6 March 2026 alleging that the minor had been abducted and unlawfully detained. During the investigation, the girl reportedly disclosed repeated incidents of sexual abuse, prompting further inquiries by the Women and Children’s Bureau and senior officers attached to the Gampaha Division.
Court proceedings were initiated under Case No. B 22424/2026 following a motion filed on the instructions of National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) Chairperson and retired High Court Judge Inoka Ranasinghe.
Appearing on behalf of the NCPA, Attorney-at-Law Sajeevani Abeyratne, alongside officials from the authority, informed court that repeated complaints had been raised over delays in arresting the main suspect. They further submitted that urgent judicial intervention had become necessary due to the lack of progress in the investigation and concerns surrounding the safety and protection of the victim.
The court also directed the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to impose a foreign travel ban on Hemarathana Thero.
Sri Lankan police confirmed that both the monk and the girl’s mother had been named as suspects in the case.
The arrest has renewed scrutiny over a series of recent criminal allegations involving members of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist clergy. Last month, Sri Lankan authorities arrested 22 Buddhist monks at Bandaranaike International Airport after allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 110 kilograms of cannabis and hashish concealed in luggage following a trip to Thailand. Police described it as the largest narcotics detection involving clergy in the airport’s history.
In a separate incident in Jaffna, a monk attached to the Navatkuli Buddhist temple was arrested over allegations of sexually abusing a 13-year-old Tamil girl who had reportedly visited the temple premises to collect water for her family. The Chavakachcheri Magistrate later released the monk on conditions, including that he leave the Navatkuli temple premises.