A Sri Lankan magistrate has ordered the Attorney General’s Office to appear before court to clarify a prolonged delay in legal proceedings against Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, who is accused of making statements insulting Islam during a press conference held in Colombo’s Kompanyaveediya area in 2014.
Fort Magistrate Isuru Netthikumara issued the directive on February 11, emphasizing that under normal legal standards a case should be filed within three months of the alleged offense. The court questioned why authorities failed to seek the Attorney General’s advice for more than a decade and instructed police to present reasons for the 11-year inaction.
The magistrate noted that if sufficient evidence exists, legal action should proceed without further delay, but if evidence is lacking, the suspect should be discharged in accordance with due process. The order places scrutiny on investigative and prosecutorial procedures in a case that has remained unresolved despite its sensitive communal implications.
Gnanasara Thero, a controversial Buddhist monk known for his nationalist rhetoric and past legal battles, appeared before the court and is currently out on bail. His organization, Bodu Bala Sena, has been at the center of previous tensions over religious and ethnic relations in Sri Lanka.
The case has drawn renewed attention to issues of accountability, legal timeliness, and interfaith harmony in the island nation, where authorities have repeatedly pledged to address hate speech and prevent the resurgence of communal unrest. The court’s intervention now compels state legal authorities to explain the delay and determine whether the long-pending matter will finally proceed to trial.
