Attack on Calvary Church: AG pulls back appeal against HC order acquitting Gnanasara

By S.S. Selvanayagam

The Attorney General yesterday withdrew his appeal against the High Court Judgment wherein Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero and two Buddhist monks as well as 10 other laymen were acquitted on the indictment against them for the alleged attack on the Calvary Church at Araliya Uyana in Talahena.

The Bench comprised Justices P. Padman Surasena (President/CA) and Arjuna Obeysekera. The Attorney General had, in his appeal, cited S.A. Athula Seneviratne, W.M. Sudu Banda, H. Thamara Beatrice, A.K. Denzil Premakumara Perera, D.S.P. Kandana Arachchi, T.K. Somadasa, E.M. Victor Ratnayake, K.W. Karunananda, E.M.H. Ratnayake, Aththaragama Gnanawimala Himi, Galgoda Aththe Gnanasara Himi, Angulagalle Siri Jinananda Himi and Dhanuska Sanjeeva as Accused-Respondents.

The Accused-Respondents had been indicted in the Colombo High Court for having committed offences of being members of an unlawful assembly to attack the said Calvary Church; for causing mischief to the said church and causing injuries to Sydney Roshan Anderson and John Anton Anderson as well as for robbery of two gold chains.

The High Court in its judgment on 2 April 2014 acquitted all the accused. The Attorney-General in his appeal against the Judgment of the High Court is seeking the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment of the High Court and convict and sentence the accused according to law and make order substituting the order quashed.

Manohara de Silva PC appeared for Ven. Gnanasara Thero. State Counsel Himali Jayanetti appeared for the Attorney General U.R. de Silva, Kalyana Tiranagama and Sandamalee Ekanayake appeared for 10 Respondents. Deputy Solicitor General Dileep Peiris appeared for the Attorney-General.