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The re-imprisonment of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, and his appearance in court in lay clothes without his robe, has set off heated debate on social media. Against that backdrop, a photo began circulating as proof that he had also worn a prison jumper without his robe during his earlier imprisonment in 2018. Following reader requests to check whether the photo genuinely showed him in a jumper during that imprisonment, we investigated. Here are the posts that carried it.
Social Media Posts:
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We set out to check whether the claim was true.
Fact-Check:
Ven. Gnanasara had been sentenced to six years’ rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court committed within the court premises during the hearing of the disappearance case of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda. He received a presidential pardon in 2019, but on September 10, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that the pardon was unlawful and invalid. He was therefore arrested and sent to a prison remand to serve the remainder of his sentence.
On October 6, 2026, in connection with a separate case of insulting Islam, prison officers brought him to the Colombo High Court without his robe, dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt and a white sarong. YouTube
Against this background, the photo began circulating, claiming that he had also worn a jumper without his robe during his 2018 imprisonment.
The person in the photo is not Gnanasara Thero
We ran the photo shared as showing Gnanasara Thero in a jumper through a reverse image search and found the original in a Daily News report dated December 31, 2012. That report concerns administrative problems caused by overlapping responsibilities between ministries, and possible solutions. It makes no reference to Gnanasara Thero.
A comparison between the photo shared on social media and the original photo in the Daily News report is shown below.
Both photos show three prisoners with their backs to the camera. At first glance, the prisoner in the middle of the photo shared on social media looks like Gnanasara Thero. However, the person in the middle of the original photo in the news report does not resemble him. The original shows three ordinary prisoners.
Given these differences, we ran the photo shared on social media through several AI-content detection tools. They indicated that it had been edited using AI software.
It is therefore clear that the original photo does not show Gnanasara Thero in a jumper. It was edited to make it appear that he was in the picture.
Although the photo is false, reports say Gnanasara Thero wore the prescribed prisoner’s uniform in 2018
On June 14, 2018, the Homagama Magistrate’s Court sentenced Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara to six months’ rigorous imprisonment after he was found guilty of intimidating and criminally harassing Sandya Eknaligoda, wife of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, within the Homagama court premises.
Thushara Upuldeniya, who was then Commissioner of Prisons and Prisons media spokesperson, told the media that Gnanasara Thero wore a jumper during that imprisonment. He said reports that the Thero had refused the clothing provided by the prison were false, and that the Thero was carrying out the relevant duties in the prescribed attire. A controversial debate also arose over the removal of his robe and his being made to wear the prisoner’s uniform (jumper). Mainstream media reported all of this. The full media report is below.
After Gnanasara Thero was imprisoned in 2018, the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha of the Shyamopali Vamsika Maha Nikaya wrote to then Minister of Justice and Prison Reforms, attorney Thalatha Athukorala, about the removal of his robe. In her reply, she stated that under Section 106 of the Prisons Ordinance, anyone sentenced to imprisonment by a court is required to be given the official prisoner’s uniform. The Daily Mirror also reported her saying at the time that any person convicted by a court should wear the prison jumper provided under the Prisons Ordinance.
However, no photos or footage exist of Gnanasara Thero appearing publicly in 2018 without his robe and in the official prisoner’s uniform.
Prison rules required Gnanasara Thero to appear in court without his robe
Prisons media spokesperson Senaka Palletenna
Prisons media spokesperson and Commissioner of Prisons Senaka Palletenna said that a person given a rigorous sentence of more than three years cannot appear in court in clothes of their choice. Only monks sentenced to less than two years may appear in religious attire. Since Gnanasara Thero was serving a six-year rigorous sentence, his robe had to be lawfully removed, and he had to appear in prisoner’s clothing. He told the media that monks whose religious attire is removed in this way are also taken out of prison in plain prison clothes. More information here and here.
Cabinet spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa
At the Cabinet decisions media briefing on October 6, Cabinet spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stressed that this was not done specially for Gnanasara Thero. He pointed out that 63 monks serving sentences for various offences were currently in prison wearing this clothing under the Prisons Ordinance. More information here.
Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha
Prof. Kotapitiye Rahula Anunayake Thero, Chief Registrar of the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha, to which Gnanasara Thero belongs, also wrote to the Commissioner General of Prisons. While respecting the court’s decision, he asked the prison authorities to allow Gnanasara Thero to appear before the court in his robe, preserving traditional monastic dignity. More information here.
Update: On October 7, the Daily Mirror reported that the Mahanayaka Theras of the four main Nikayas had questioned the decision to produce Gnanasara Thero in court in lay clothes. According to the Tamil Guardian, the Colombo High Court told his lawyers they could take their objection to a higher court and fixed the next hearing of the separate case for October 23.
Also Read: Is this a photo of Gnanasara Thero in Japan as a layman?
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Conclusion:
Our fact-check found that the photo shared as showing Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara without his robe, in the prescribed prisoner’s uniform during his 2018 imprisonment, is false. The original photo, published in a Daily News report on December 31, 2012, does not show Gnanasara Thero. The version circulating on social media was created by editing it with AI.
Even though the photo is false, there are reports that Gnanasara Thero wore the prescribed prisoner’s uniform during his 2018 imprisonment. The then prisons media spokesperson, Thushara Upuldeniya, confirmed this to the media. Replying to a letter from the Sangha Sabha about the removal of his robe, then Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorala stated that under the Prisons Ordinance, anyone sentenced to imprisonment by a court is required to be given the official prisoner’s uniform.
However, there are no photos or footage of Gnanasara Thero appearing publicly in the prisoner’s uniform on any earlier occasion.
Title: Gnanasara Thero 2018 Prison Jumper Photo Is False: AI-Edited From a 2012 News Photo
Fact Check By: B.P Hansani
Result: False
