The Colombo High Court today upheld the nine‑month prison sentence imposed by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Bodu Bala Sena Secretary Venerable Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, who was found guilty of making a statement insulting Islam and thereby disrupting communal harmony.
High Court Judge Manjula Thilakaratne delivered the ruling after rejecting an appeal filed by Gnanasara Thera seeking acquittal and release from the case.
The case stemmed from a 2016 media briefing in Kirulapone, where police charged Gnanasara Thera under the Penal Code for remarks deemed insulting to Islam and harmful to inter‑community peace.
Following trial proceedings, the Magistrate’s Court found him guilty and handed down the nine‑month sentence, which has now been confirmed by the Colombo High Court. (Newswire)