Balangoda Kassapa Thera and six others remanded

Daily Mirror, Tamilmirror, Newsfirst, Newsfirst (සිංහල), Hiru News (සිංහල) and Ada Derana report that Balangoda Kassapa Thera and six others were remanded until November 26 by a court in Anuradhapura. Newsfirst identifies the presiding official as Chief Magistrate Siyapath Sasindu Wickramaratne and Newsfirst (සිංහල) says the group included four monks and three laypeople.

Newsfirst and Newsfirst (සිංහල) report that the court action concerned alleged unruly conduct at the Ruwanweli Maha Seya sacred premises. Newsfirst (සිංහල) says the seven were arrested on the 12th in connection with alleged disorderly conduct and an alleged assault on a monk. Lankadeepa says police reported taking Kassapa, three other monks and laypeople into custody after a disturbance at an alms-giving site in front of the stupa.

Newswire reports that the group had been staging a fast-unto-death protest in Anuradhapura’s Sacred City. Daily Mirror describes a confrontation at a protest site near the historic stupa. The reports do not provide further details about the protest’s demands or what led to the confrontation.

Ada Derana reports that the court ordered medical and drug tests for the seven, while Newswire reports orders for psychiatric and drug tests. The reports do not specify when the assessments will take place.