Three suspects arrested in connection with the brutal burning of a wild elephant in Seeppukulama in Mihintale have been remanded again until further notice.

The suspects were produced before the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court yesterday (24), where Additional Magistrate Sanduni Hapuarachchi ordered that they be held in remand custody.

The court also rejected granting bail to the suspects, citing the possibility of public unrest.

The incident drew widespread public outrage after a video showing the wild elephant being set on fire and tortured circulated on social media. Following investigations into the incident, Mihintale Police arrested three suspects in connection with the act.

The injured elephant was found dead in Seeppukulama a few days after the incident.

A post-mortem examination revealed that the elephant’s death was caused by kidney and liver disease, compounded by severe stress and trauma resulting from the burns.

The suspects, aged 42, 48 and 50, are residents of the same locality.