Gnanasara Thera granted bail after serving four months of his four year sentence

• Gnanasara Thera was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment by Colombo High Court for making a hate speech by insulting the religious beliefs of the Muslim community

On March 28, Gnanasara Thera, was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment by Colombo High Court for making a hate speech by insulting the religious beliefs of the Muslim community.  

Gnanasara Thera was ordered to be released on a cash bail of Rs.50,000 with two sureties of Rs.500,000 by Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justice Sampath Abayakoon and Justice P. Kumararatnam.   Colombo High Court had earlier rejected the bail application filed on behalf of Gnanasara Thera citing there are no exceptional circumstances revealed before court to release Gnanasara Thera on bail. 

Anil Silva PC with Counsel Iresh Seneviratne, Sanjaya Ariyadasa, Sanjaya Marambe appeared for Gnanasara Thera. Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara appeared for the Attorney General.  

The Attorney General had filed an indictment against Gnanasara Thera for making a deliberate and malicious statement between November 1, 2016 and December 16, 2016 at Kirulapone, which intended to outrage Islamic religious feelings, by insulting Islamic religious beliefs.  

The indictment had been filed on two counts under section 291B of the Penal Code and court found Gnanasara Thera’s guilty on both counts.