Sandhya Ekneligoda, the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda yesterday filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court seeking an order to quash the decision to pardon Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera by the President in respect of the conviction and sentence imposed by the Court of Appeal.
The petitioner further sought a declaration that granting of the pardon of the Ven. Gnanasara Thera is unconstitutional and contrary to Article 12(1) of the Constitution.
Filing this petition through counsel Manjula Balasuriya, the petitioner further sought a declaration that the petitioner’s Fundamental Rights guaranteed under Article 10, 12(1), 13(4) and 14(1)(a) have been violated.
The petitioner had cited the Attorney General, Ven. Gnanasara Thera, Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorala and several others as respondents. Ven. Gnanasara Thera was jailed for six years after being found guilty of contempt of court over his conduct during a court hearing regarding the case of missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda. On May 23,Ven. Gnanasara Thera was released from Welikada prison after receiving letter from the Presidential Secretariat granting pardon to Ven.Gnanasara Thera. On October 5, 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeal judgment that found Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera guilty over his contemptuous behaviour inside the Homagama Magistrate’s Court on January 25, 2016. On August 2018, Gnanasara Thera was sentenced to 19-year-rigorous imprisonment, to be served concurrently within 6 years by Court of Appeal over his contemptuous behaviour inside the Homagama Magistrate’s Court.
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