On January 11, 2022, a live hand grenade was discovered inside the All Saints Church in Borella.
Following the incident, police put forward a narrative claiming that a retired doctor had planted the explosive device inside the church. Based on this allegation, the doctor was arrested and detained.
The arrested individual was the father of social activist Oshala Herath. Shortly after the incident, the doctor’s wife passed away. During this period, the police also attempted to portray the doctor as having a personal grudge against the All Saints Church in Borella.
From the outset, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith strongly criticized the conduct of the police in handling the matter.
At the time, then Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne stated that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) would carry out an impartial investigation into the discovery of the live grenade at the All Saints Church. He also issued firm instructions to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith not to interfere with the investigation.
It has now been exactly four years since the live hand grenade was found inside the All Saints Church in Borella. Marking the anniversary, a protest was held in front of the church, with the church calling on the new government to ensure a full and transparent investigation into the incident.
