My motto: ‘Live life to the fullest’-Bogus monk
sentenced to 20 years in prison, tells Court
By Rajitha Pahalawatte
former bogus Buddhist monk garbed in saffron robes, Ruwanwelle Sobitha, aka Sunil Shantha, had reportedly told the Kegalle High Court Judge that he had used his bungalow to engage in physical pleasure with his friends – both males and females.
It has been alleged that having posed as a priest, using the name Ruwanwelle Sobitha Thera, Shantha has confessed that he is clueless about Buddhism even while he wore a robe.
The bogus monk had said that his motto is to live life to the fullest, and not to think of the future. He added that he had built an estate bungalow at Bulathkohupitiya with state-of-the-art facilities so as to cater in particular, to women who had come to him, seeking his advice and predictions on astrology.
Ruwanwelle Sobitha had maintained that he had hoodwinked a 17-year-old girl by promising her a job after which he had raped her at his bungalow.
What he deemed is right
At the Kegalle High Court he had said that he is not interested in living for long, and that he had deemed it right to indulge in luxuries and have as much physical pleasure as possible in the company of women, in the short time that he has on this planet.
It is said that the immoral acts practiced by this bogus monk had been criticized for years not only by genuine Buddhist monks but by the scores of Buddhists in Ankokkawela, Matara, but no action had been taken to disrobe the monk by the authorities concerned.
It has come to light that people from areas such as Negombo, Galle, Matara, Badulla and Anuradhapura had flocked to have a meeting with this monk in order to
seek his views on astrology and help in that regard.
He was sentenced to 20 years in jail and fined Rs20,000 by Kegalle High Court Judge Menaka Wijesundera on October 2 (Tuesday) for tricking a 17-year-old girl by promising her a job and thereafter taking her to his estate bungalow and raping her.
Sobitha, the so-called Buddhist monk had been into practicing astrology and sorcery in the Ruwanwella area when he had committed the offence at the Lihiniyagala estate, Bulathkohupitiya, which he owns on July 16, 2005, or on a date around that time. He was also ordered to pay the victim Rs200,000 as compensation.
Aided and abetted
An aunt and an uncle of the victim, S.B. Anoma and E.M. Hemachandra, who had allegedly aided and abetted Shantha to commit the crime, were also handed down the same sentence.
In the event the convicts fail to pay the fine, they have to serve an extra 18 months in prison, and if they fail to pay the compensation, they have to serve an additional two years in prison, as ordered by the High Court judge in Kegalle.
Lawyers appearing for Shantha had pleaded that he, being over 50 years, has not been convicted before, nor are there any previous convictions, or any other cases pending against him.
They had also pleaded that since there are around 30 people employed by him, it would affect those employees and their families if he were to go to jail – all of which were overruled by the High Court judge.
sentenced to 20 years in prison, tells Court
By Rajitha Pahalawatteformer bogus Buddhist monk garbed in saffron robes, Ruwanwelle Sobitha, aka Sunil Shantha, had reportedly told the Kegalle High Court Judge that he had used his bungalow to engage in physical pleasure with his friends – both males and females.
It has been alleged that having posed as a priest, using the name Ruwanwelle Sobitha Thera, Shantha has confessed that he is clueless about Buddhism even while he wore a robe.
The bogus monk had said that his motto is to live life to the fullest, and not to think of the future. He added that he had built an estate bungalow at Bulathkohupitiya with state-of-the-art facilities so as to cater in particular, to women who had come to him, seeking his advice and predictions on astrology.
Ruwanwelle Sobitha had maintained that he had hoodwinked a 17-year-old girl by promising her a job after which he had raped her at his bungalow.
What he deemed is right
At the Kegalle High Court he had said that he is not interested in living for long, and that he had deemed it right to indulge in luxuries and have as much physical pleasure as possible in the company of women, in the short time that he has on this planet.
It is said that the immoral acts practiced by this bogus monk had been criticized for years not only by genuine Buddhist monks but by the scores of Buddhists in Ankokkawela, Matara, but no action had been taken to disrobe the monk by the authorities concerned.
It has come to light that people from areas such as Negombo, Galle, Matara, Badulla and Anuradhapura had flocked to have a meeting with this monk in order to
seek his views on astrology and help in that regard.He was sentenced to 20 years in jail and fined Rs20,000 by Kegalle High Court Judge Menaka Wijesundera on October 2 (Tuesday) for tricking a 17-year-old girl by promising her a job and thereafter taking her to his estate bungalow and raping her.
Sobitha, the so-called Buddhist monk had been into practicing astrology and sorcery in the Ruwanwella area when he had committed the offence at the Lihiniyagala estate, Bulathkohupitiya, which he owns on July 16, 2005, or on a date around that time. He was also ordered to pay the victim Rs200,000 as compensation.
Aided and abetted
An aunt and an uncle of the victim, S.B. Anoma and E.M. Hemachandra, who had allegedly aided and abetted Shantha to commit the crime, were also handed down the same sentence.
In the event the convicts fail to pay the fine, they have to serve an extra 18 months in prison, and if they fail to pay the compensation, they have to serve an additional two years in prison, as ordered by the High Court judge in Kegalle.
Lawyers appearing for Shantha had pleaded that he, being over 50 years, has not been convicted before, nor are there any previous convictions, or any other cases pending against him.
They had also pleaded that since there are around 30 people employed by him, it would affect those employees and their families if he were to go to jail – all of which were overruled by the High Court judge.
