Lanka court remands four extremist Buddhist monks to custody

Four extremist Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka, wanted for alleged rioting outside a court, today surrendered before police after which they were remanded to custody till tomorrow.
The General Secretary of the Ravana Balaya, Venerable Ittekande Saddhatissa Thero, President of the Sinhala Ravaya, Venerable Akmeemana Dayarathana Thero and two other monks were ordered to be remanded till tomorrow by the Magistrate court at the Colombo suburb of Homagama.
The monks were accused of rioting outside the Magistrate Court on January 26 when the chief of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero was remanded for contempt of court and threatening the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.

Gnanasara had threatened the wife of the missing journalist during the court proceedings and had also made an inflammatory address to the magistrate.
Homagama Magistrate on January 27 ordered those responsible for the protest to be arrested. Police had arrested three persons over the protests including a three wheeler driver and two other individuals.
The BBS has been blamed for creating communal disharmony targeting the minority Muslim community.
The group had led an anti-Muslim campaign since 2012.