Six student monks found loitering in Kandy bailed
Kandy Police said that the Magistrate’s Court Kandy ordered that the six student Bikkhus from the Peradeniya and Jayawardenapura Universities who were arrested found loitering suspiciously near the Clock Tower Kandy, clad in layman’s clothing and drunk, were released on surety bail of Rs 200,000 each and a cash bail of Rs.1,000 each.
The six student Bikkhus who were released on bail thus, were Ven.Obarawane Udithasiri (27) of Maththaka posing as H.H. Praneeth Dilshan, Ven Ambagaspitiye
Sobitha (32) who posed as R.M.Anura Rajanayake, Ven.Idunilpura Indrananda (30) who posed as H.A. Kalum Sandaruwan,Ven Obarawane Vijitha who posed as H. Dhanushka Chaturanga (26), Ven.Wekadawala Amitharathana (31) who posed as Sahan Mahesh and Ven.Vijaya Maithri (28) of Agunukolapalassa, Rathgama,who posed as Devapriya Bandara.
These six student monks had been caught while they were loitering suspiciously near the Clock Tower, Kandy by a team of police officers including Officer-In-Charge of Kandy Police
Headquarters Chief Inspector of Police Rasika Sampath. The OIC who saw this group of men, with very short haircuts, dressed in shorts and long trousers felt suspicious and thought that they were a group from the army. When their identities were checked, only one person had submitted an identity card and none of the others had any. The OIC had taken steps to take them to the police station to find out their
identity and also because he had been suspicious about their behaviour and as they had been drunk at the time. They had been put in a police cell and when questioned in the morning, the person who had submitted his identity card had stated that it was not one that belonged to him but that of another individual. It was then that it had been revealed that this group were student bikkhus.
At first, they had said they were members of the public and civilians. Later they had confessed to being university students. On another occasion they had said that they had given up robes. It was only finally they had admitted to being student monks.
Police said that five of them were from the Peradeniya University while one was from the Sri Jayawardhanapura University. It is alleged that there was a monk who is said to be a lecturer among them and his identity is being investigated intelligence sectors, the police said.
A top police official said that these six persons had gone to a bar in Kandy and had drinks and were on their way back to the university when they were found by the police.
He also said that it was discovered during investigations that these six persons had met at the student hostel, removed their robes and dressed in clothing belonging to a few students and come to Kandy to engage in drinking alcohol.
Officials said further that although walking on the road drunk or being on the road while drunk was not a punishable offence these student bhikkhus were arrested since they failed to prove their identities.
According to this police officials, even the clothes these individuals were wearing gave rise to suspicion and some of the clothing smelt bad as well.