Rajanganaya Saddharatana Thero arrested

Venerable Rajangane Saddharathana Thero has been arrested by the Central Criminal Investigation Bureau (CCIB) on charges of threatening senior government officials through social media. Police have confirmed that statements published on social media, threatening Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala and Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya, directly led to this arrest.

The Thero, who was highly active on internet media including YouTube, gained significant public attention and sparked considerable discussion in society due to his controversial statements in the recent past. However, his pattern of behavior and statements have caused serious concern among both authorities and the general public, leading security forces to take swift legal action against him.

Another significant related event is that, as a disciplinary measure based on his behavior and social media activities, the executive committee of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya had previously decided to expel Venerable Rajangane Saddharathana Thero from the monastic order and the Nikaya itself, on April 2, 2025.