Man in robes faces one-year rigorous imprisonment

By Shane Seneviratne   

A man in robes who behaved in an unruly manner in a temple  in Menikdivela area was severely reprimanded and sentenced to one-year  rigorous imprisonment by Kandy Chief Magistrate Shrinith Wijesekara.   

The suspect, Kuliyapitiye Dhammadhassi Thera (57) had been a  resident monk of Egodawela Sri Shailaama temple in Badulla. He had been  arrested and produced in court by Poththapitiya Police in pursuance of a  complaint received from another resident monk of the temple Ven. Bhatiya  Thera.   

Police told court that the suspect had previous convictions by Bibila and Anamaduwa Courts.   

His request from the dock to reduce the jail term to a  suspended sentence was turned down by the magistrate who held that being  a Buddhist monk he should behave in an exemplary manner without  bringing disrepute to the Maha Sangha and that the court would not  entertain his request.