Sri Lankan authorities have arrested a senior Buddhist monk over allegations of sexually abusing an underage girl, in what is being described as one of the country’s highest-profile cases involving clergy misconduct.
Read More: Faisalabad university driver arrested for rape and blackmail
According to police, 71-year-old Pallegama Hemarathana was taken into custody from a private hospital in Colombo, where he had reportedly gone for treatment while investigations were underway. The arrest is linked to allegations that he abused an 11-year-old girl in 2022.
Un moine bouddhiste à la tête d’un important temple au Sri Lanka arrêté pour agression sexuelle sur une mineure de 11 anshttps://t.co/tpTEEnUgp6
— BFM (@BFMTV) May 9, 2026
Police said the alleged incident took place at a revered temple in Anuradhapura, nearly 200 kilometres north of Colombo, where Hemarathana serves as chief priest. Authorities confirmed that he will be produced before a magistrate, who will decide the next legal steps in the case.
In a related development, the victim’s mother has also been arrested on allegations of aiding and abetting the suspect. Officials have not yet shared further details regarding her alleged role.
The case has attracted widespread public attention because Hemarathana is considered one of the country’s most influential Buddhist clerics. He is the chief custodian of a sacred tree believed to have been grown from a sapling of the Bodhi tree in India, under which Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago.
In addition, he oversees eight prominent temples located along an important Buddhist pilgrimage route, further increasing the sensitivity and visibility of the investigation.
A court in Anuradhapura had already imposed a foreign travel ban on the monk a day before his arrest, signalling growing legal pressure in the case.
Sri Lanka has witnessed previous allegations of child abuse involving religious figures, but this arrest is seen as particularly significant due to the monk’s senior status and religious influence.
Read More: IG orders swift action in women, child abuse cases
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities say further action will depend on court proceedings and evidence gathered during the inquiry.