Pallegama Hemarathana Thero Arrested Over Alleged Abuse of Girl

COLOMBO (News 1st);  The Chief Prelate of the Atamasthana, Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, has been arrested.

The Minister of Public Security, Ananda Wijepala, stated that the facts regarding the arrest of the Atamasthanadhipathi Thero will be reported to the court today.

Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero has been accused of sexually abusing an underage girl.

The National Child Protection Authority reported the facts of the incident to the Anuradhapura Magistrate's Court yesterday, and the court subsequently ordered the arrest of the suspect Thero and the girl's mother.

Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Siyapath Sasidu Wickramaratne also imposed a foreign travel ban on the suspect Thero.

He was arrested at the emergency treatment unit of a private hospital in Colombo. 

Currently, three individuals, including Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, have been arrested in connection with the incident.