Attack on Calvary Church: CA fixes appeal for 13 June

By S.S. Selvanayagam

The Court of Appeal yesterday fixed for 13 June the appeal filed by the Attorney General against the High Court judgment where Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero and two Buddhist monks as well as 10 other laymen were acquitted in the indictment against them for the alleged attack on the Calvary Church at Araliya Uyana in Talahena.

The bench comprised justices P. Pathman Surasena (CA President) and Arjuna Obeysekera.

The Court of Appeal on 2 February directed the Counsel for the Accused-Respondent Gnanasara Thero to file a written submission on 23 May in respect of the appeal filed by the Attorney General against the judgment of the Colombo High Court which acquitted Gnanasara Thero and two Buddhist monks as well as 10 other laymen who had been indicted for the alleged attack on the Calvary Church at Araliya Uyana in Talahena.

The Attorney General 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 the offences of being members of an unlawful assembly to attack the Calvary Church; for causing mischief to the church and causing injuries to Sydney Roshan Anderson and John Anton Anderson as well as for robbing 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 the law and make an order substituting the quashed order.

Manohara de Silva PC appeared for Gnanasara Thero. State Counsel Himali Jayanetti appeared for the Attorney General. U.R. de Silva, Kalyana Tiranagama and Sandamalee Ekanayake appeared for the 10 respondents.