The Colombo magistrate’s court has announced the release of a man and a woman who were arrested after walking near a church in a suspicious manner during the Easter Sunday service at the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade.
The pair were presented to court by the Foreshore police. Police reported arresting them on suspicion after observing them walking around the church on the 20th of April.
The police presented to the court that there was no incriminating evidence against the arrested individuals, and as such no legal action would be taken against them. The individuals were released.
The arrest came as the island marked 6 years since the deadly 2019 Easter Sunday attack. The 2019 attacks, carried out by the extremist group National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) and later claimed by the Islamic State, targeted churches in Batticaloa, Colombo, and Negombo, as well as luxury hotels in the capital.
