Social activist Namal Kumara has been ordered to remain in custody until January 15, 2025, following his appearance at the Fort Magistrate's Court.
He was arrested earlier today (January 1) by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) in connection with an audio recording circulating on social media.
The recording allegedly defames the reputation of His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo.
The Archdiocese of Colombo had recently called for an investigation into the incident. Rev. Fr. Jude Krishantha, the Media Director of the Archdiocese, accused Kumara of being an abettor in the Easter Sunday attacks and claimed he was acting on behalf of a third party to create further disturbances.
Police Media Spokesman SSP Buddhika Manathunga stated that the arrest was made after an extensive investigation based on a complaint filed by Rev. Fr. Jude Krishantha with the CCD on this incident.
