The 31-year-old, who was arrested for allegedly singing a distorted version of the New Year song ‘Sooriya Mangalle’ by singer Rohana Baddage and sharing it on social media, has been remanded.
Accordingly, the suspect was ordered to be remanded until 22 April, on the orders of the Kuliyapitiya Acting Magistrate Upul Alagiyawanna who rejected the defence counsels’ request for bail. He also called for a report on the suspect’s mental health and ordered to refer him to the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital’s mental health unit.
The arrestee was identified as an Excise Officer attached to the sub-office in Dummalasuriya and residing in the area of Thalathuoya.
The North Western Province Unit of the Computer Crime Investigation Division had launched an investigation into the matter based on a complaint received by the Inspector General of Police alleging that the song in question, which is frequently aired during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, had been distorted and shared on social media.
Accordingly, the suspect was arrested on Tuesday (16) at the North Western Province Unit’s Wariyapola office.