Sri Lanka Police investigate claims of questioning over Sinhala curse verses

The Sri Lanka Police have denied allegations that Dematagoda Police questioned a youth regarding traditional Sinhala curse verses, known as ‘was kavi’. The denial follows the circulation of a video on social media claiming that a statement had been recorded in connection with the verses, which reportedly appeared during a recent protest by Buddhist monks.

Attorney-at-Law Sudath Kumararatne, an associate of the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), had previously claimed that his client was summoned and questioned about whether he authored the verses, which include an invocation to the deity Vajrapani. However, the Dematagoda Police confirmed that no complaints regarding the verses have been received and no statements have been recorded.

Following the social media claims, the Inspector General of Police has instructed the Central Crime Investigation Bureau to launch an investigation into the matter.