A person charged with torching a vehicle, belonging to a Buddhist monk and worth around Rs 3 million, was remanded until August 14 while the Buddhist monk, who was arrested for assaulting the suspect, was released on bail by the Nikaweratiya Magistrate’s Court today.

The remanded suspect, a 23-year-old from Kelaniya, had reportedly served as an assistant to the Buddhist monk, Nakathwewe Wimaladharma Thero, who runs a Devalaya at a property belonging to him in Puhulgoda.

The Thero travels to the Devalaya from Kelaniya several days a week in order to perform witchcraft while the youth had been employed as his assistant there.

On August 10, an argument between Wimaladharma Thero and his lay assistant led to a physical altercation where the former had assaulted the youth, who in retaliation had set fire to the Pajero and a tractor belonging to the monk.

However, only the Pajero had caught fire and was damaged in the fire while the tractor had not suffered any significant damage.

Both parties had lodged complaints with the police over the incident while Kotawehera Police, after conducting investigations, arrested both suspects and produced them before the Magistrate’s Court.

Nikaweratiya Acting Magistrate, T.B. Tennakoon, remanded the youth charged with arson until August 14 and ordered Wimaladharma Thero to be released on a personal bail of Rs 200,000.

Kotawehera Police are conducting further investigations.