The Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of former Mayor of Kurunegala, Thushara Sanjeewa Vitharana, from three years to one year. This reduction also applies to the four other individuals sentenced alongside him.

The verdict, issued on July 18, 2024, followed the consideration of appeal petitions filed by the accused. Vitharana, along with the Municipal Commissioner, an engineer, and two others, had been sentenced on December 14, 2023, to three years of rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in the destruction and removal of the ancient ‘Raja Sabha Mandapaya’ (King’s Court) in Kurunegala.

The demolished building, also known as the Buwaneka Hotel, dates back to the 13th century and is believed to have been an assembly hall used by contemporary rulers. On July 16, 2022, the building was demolished as part of a road development project, with the Mayor claiming that the Road Development Authority had approved the demolition.

Following the demolition, the Department of Archaeology filed a complaint, asserting that the site was a protected archaeological monument under the Antiquities Ordinance No. 9 of 1940. A five-member committee was established by the Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Cultural and Religious Affairs, under the directives of then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, to investigate the incident.

Meanwhile, then Attorney General Dappula de Livera obtained an order from the Kurunegala Magistrate’s Court to protect and restrict access to the demolished site during the investigation. The prevention order was issued against the Mayor, Deputy Mayor of Kurunegala, Municipal Councillors, the Municipal Commissioner, and Municipal Council staff and their representatives.