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The Court of Appeal has directed that the written order and audio recording from the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court, issued on January 19, regarding the Buddha statue incident, be presented in court promptly. The Appeals Court is reviewing the decision to remand Venerable Balangoda Kassapa and another monk linked to the incident with the Buddha statue in Trincomalee. This directive came as the Appeals Court examined a writ petition filed by Venerable Kassapa Thera and the other monk, contesting their remand custody. The Court has scheduled further consideration of the petition for today at 1:30 p.m. On January 19, four Buddhist monks, including Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero, along with six others, were arrested for allegedly breaching coastal conservation laws by placing a Buddha statue at the Trincomalee Bodhiraja Viharaya. The Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court has extended their remand until January 28. The group is accused of placing the Buddha statue at the Trincomalee Bodhiraja Viharaya on November 16, 2025, violating coastal conservation regulations. Due to legal restrictions, the Ada Derana Editorial team has decided to disable comments on all articles related to ongoing court cases. Copyright ©2026 Ada Derana. All rights reserved.