Fort Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage issued arrest warrants on two monks of the Bodu Bala Sena, including National Organizer Vitharandeniye Nanda Thera, for not being present at the Magisterial Inquiry on the alleged assault on a press conference of the Jathika Bala Sena.

Their lawyers informed court that the two monks were overseas for religious work. However, the Magistrate directed that they had not informed the court and issued the warrants.

Meanwhile, BBS General Secretary Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera, who is in remand custody, was not brought to the court today. The Magistrate ordered him to be produced before the court for the next hearing.

The next court hearing was fixed for March 3.

The inquiry is on an incident in April 2014 when the Bodu Bala Sena raided a Jathika Bala Sena press conference in Colombo.