Ven. Uduwe Thera Remanded
BY Buddhi Prabodha Karunaratne and Premalal Wijeratne-2016-03-10
Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris yesterday remanded Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera till 17 March over the possession of an elephant calf illegally.
Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera was arrested yesterday by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
A special police squad deployed by CID made the arrest followed by recording a statement from the Ven. Dhammaloka Thera.
Previously Dhammaloka Thera filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court citing CID Director B.R.S.R. Nagahamulla and the Inspector General of Police as respondents pleading Court to stay his arrest.
A special police squad deployed by CID made the arrest followed by recording a statement from the Ven. Dhammaloka Thera.
Previously Dhammaloka Thera filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court citing CID Director B.R.S.R. Nagahamulla and the Inspector General of Police as respondents pleading Court to stay his arrest.
However, Dhammaloka Thera said he got to know the allegations through the media, and also stated that he adopted the elephant calf when it was abandoned at the temple premises after a ceremony held at Alan Mathiniyarama temple.
Another 33 elephants which were discovered in illegal possession of other persons are currently looked after by the Udawalawa Elephant Orphanage, an official of the Department of Wildlife Conservation stated. The CID is inquiring into three other elephant calves which are in illegal possessions.
