The Mullaitivu magistrate’s court has ordered state officials to report reasons for their disregard to two previous orders that ban new constructions in an archaeological site in the Wanni.
The court also issued notice on two northern Tamil politicians in connection with the disruptions they had made to Buddhist offerings at Thannimurippu.
The archaeologically-protected site where a temple for God Siva was located previously is the focus of a case filed in 2022 against the construction of a Stupa by the Army.
When the case was taken up on March 02, the lawyer for the petitioners produced photographs that show the work continuing without a halt, while using Hindu artefacts in the construction.
Magistrate T. Saravanaraja ordered the director general of archaeology and the OIC of Mullaitivu police to submit a report at the next hearing on March 03.
On June 12, 2022, a group led by Tamil MP Selvaraja Gajendran staged a protest at the site against erecting a Buddha statue there.
That was challenged in court by Buddhist monks, and the magistrate ordered Gajendran and another MP, Vino Noharadalingam, to appear at the next hearing on June 08.
A few days before the cases were taken up at the court, MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam visited the site and found soldiers there, in violation of a court order to provide police protection.
