The Fort Magistrate’s Court issued a warrant on 9 December 2025 for the arrest of Namal Kumara, ordering that he be taken into custody and produced before the court.

Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara issued the order after Kumara failed to appear in open court when the case against him was taken up for hearing. Kumara is currently a suspect in a case involving the making of defamatory remarks against the Cardinal and issuing statements deemed to incite anger among the Catholic community.

While Kumara was absent, the second suspect in the case, Asela Nuwan Rajapaksa, was present in court when the matter was called.

The police are conducting investigations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act. Investigators have revealed that the statements in question were found to propagate religious, ethnic, and national hatred.

The legal proceedings stem from a complaint lodged with the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) by National Director of Catholic Communications Jude Krishantha. Acting on this complaint, the CCD previously arrested both Namal Kumara and the second suspect. They were subsequently produced in court and released on bail prior to this hearing.