October 18, 2026 | Colombo

Sri Lanka Police have rejected allegations circulating on social media that officers assaulted Buddhist monk Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero during a satyagraha at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo.

The Police Media Division said he slipped on a concrete step and fell during a confrontation, denying that officers had assaulted him.

The protest near the park’s Buddha statue is calling for the release of imprisoned monk Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero through the appropriate legal procedures.

According to police, protesters attempted to use a loudspeaker and put up a temporary structure using tent material on October 17. Officers intervened, telling those present that the activities were not legally permitted.

Police said tensions arose and alleged that Kassapa Thero and others pushed against officers while moving forward. Their account states that he then lost his footing on a concrete step.

Protest participants dispute that explanation and allege that officers assaulted the monk during the confrontation.

He was taken to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Colombo in a 1990 Suwa Seriya ambulance. Newsfirst subsequently reported that he had left the hospital.

Police also rejected the allegations accompanying a video circulating online that purportedly showed an assault while monks were chanting pirith. They warned of legal action over false information that could cause public unrest.

Cinnamon Gardens Police are conducting further investigations.

The police account and the protesters’ allegations remain in conflict. The police explanation does not constitute an independent finding on the assault allegation; the circumstances require clarification through investigation.