A writ petition has been filed before the Court of Appeal seeking an urgent order to prevent the misappropriation of the assets of the Sri Dalada Maligawa by the acting Diyawadana Nilame Nilanga Dela.
The petition, filed by Sanjaya Mahawatta, convener of the Civil Intelligence Front, has also requested the court to issue an order to the Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs to conduct a complete audit of all the properties owned by the Dalada Maligawa.
The petition has been filed with several parties including the Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs and the acting Diyawadana Nilame Nilanga Dela as respondents. The petitioner also requests that a trustee be appointed to manage the Dalada Maligawa.
The main argument of the petitioner is that the transfer, lease or sale (alienation) of hereditary property belonging to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is completely prohibited under the ‘Vihara and Dvwala gam” Act. However, the petitioner has informed the court in his petition that the current Acting Nilame has misused this property in the past. The petition cites as examples the sale of parts of the lands of Uda Gedarawatte and Duladeniyawatte.
Therefore, the petitioner requests the court to issue an order to prevent the further alienation, transfer or sale of all immovable properties and assets belonging to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.