Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thera, the Anuradhapura Atamasthanadhipathi, has been arrested over allegations linked to the sexual abuse of a 15-year-old girl, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said on Saturday. The senior monk was taken into custody at the emergency treatment unit of a private hospital in Colombo, and the facts of the arrest are due to be reported to court the same day.
The arrest follows the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) approaching the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court alleging delays in detaining the suspect despite repeated requests to law enforcement. Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Siyapath Sasidu Wickramaratne ordered the arrest of the suspect monk and the girl’s mother and imposed a foreign travel ban on the Thera. The Atamasthanadhipathi is the chief custodian of the eight sacred sites of Anuradhapura, one of the most senior administrative posts in the Sri Lankan Buddhist establishment.
Three individuals, including Ven. Hemarathana Thera, have now been arrested in connection with the case. The Colombo Fort Magistrate on May 9 ordered the senior monk remanded in custody until May 12.
According to police, the investigation began with a complaint lodged at Nittambuwa Police on March 6, 2026, alleging that a minor girl had been abducted and detained. An initial suspect was arrested and produced before the Attanagalla Magistrate’s Court, while the victim was placed under protection at a child care centre in Ragama.
During subsequent inquiries the girl reportedly disclosed details of an earlier incident of sexual abuse. Investigators carried out inspections at the location and submitted forensic and other evidence to the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court. The court named Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Thera and the girl’s mother as suspects.
The mother was arrested on Thursday on allegations of aiding and abetting the offence and allegedly selling the child for money. She was remanded until May 15. Police have also sought permission to record video evidence from the victim through the NCPA.
The hearing was held in the magistrate’s chambers, attended by NCPA Chairperson and retired High Court Judge Inoka Ranasinghe, Law Enforcement Unit Director Sajeevani Abeyratne, and Assistant Director Hansi Halangoda, attorney-at-law. Investigations are continuing under the supervision of police and the NCPA.
The case follows a broader sequence of child-protection enforcement actions involving Buddhist clergy in 2025–26.
