Four restrained from acting against Diyawadana Nilame

Sandasen Marasinghe

Colombo District Judge Sisira Ratnayake yesterday issued an enjoining order restraining four including Ven. Kolonne Siri Shantha Vijaya Thera from holding press conferences and meetings that would defame the Diyawadana Nilame Nilanga Dela Bandara.

The Court issued the order after Diyawadana Nilame of the Temple of tooth relic-Kandy Pradeep Nilanga Dela Bandara filed a plaint before the Colombo District Court alleging that the defendants spread false stories of a defaming nature.

Plaintiff cited Ven. Kolonne Siri Shantha Vijaya Thera, Ven. Sumangala Thera, B.U.Dias Wasgamuwa and Upali Newspapers (Pvt) Ltd as defendants.

Nilanga Dela Bandara stated that first second and third defendants were the President, Secretary and Chief Organiser of the Movement for Protection of the National Resources respectively. He stated that they made false complaints at the Buddhist Affairs Commissioner General and at the Bribery Commission that 25 gold plated Buddha statues in the Temple of Tooth Relic were missing.

He stated that those Buddha statues were supposed to be handed over to the temples that had no Buddha statues under the supervision of the Chief incumbents of the Asgiriya and Malwatta chapters. Although those statues were not missing, the false news was carried in the Island Newspaper published by the fourth defendant on July 4, 2008.

Further plaintiff stated that later he was informed by the Deputy Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs that the matter had been informed to the Human Rights Commission.

Later the first three defendants held a press conference in this regard at the Darma Vijaya Foundation on June 20, 2008. It was published in the Island and Divaina Newspapers.

Dela Bandara pleaded before the Court to issue an enjoining order to refraining the defendants from holding any meetings or press conference that defamed him.

He also pleaded to declare that the first three defendants' action defamed the plaintiff and the fourth defendant acted to prove their action. Plaintiff also claimed Rs 500 million as damages.