Buddhist monk who abducted a 9-year-old boy in Sri Lanka remanded

A Buddhist monk, who was arrested for allegedly abducting a nine-year-old boy from the Batuwita area in Horana, has been remanded by a court until November 7.

The abducted child was found unharmed near the Jethawana Ramaya Stupa in Anuradhapura on Friday, the Colombo Page web site quoted police spokesperson SSP Ajith Rohana, as saying.

The father of the child said that the monk had demanded a ransom in order to release the child.

According to the police, the child, his mother and grandmother with the monk had gone to buy a bicycle and the monk had disappeared d with the child.