Sanath Nishantha
MP
පුත්තලම් බූරුවා
சனத் நிஷாந்த
Member of Parliament
for Puttalam District
Assumed office
1 September 2015
Personal details
Born (1975-05-03) 3 May 1975
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partySri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Other political
affiliations		Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance

Sanath Nishantha (born 3 May 1975) is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He was elected from Puttalam District in 2015. He is a member of the United People's Freedom Alliance.[1][2]

Arrests for assault

Sanath Nishantha has been arrested several times for assaults. In 2008, he and his brother Jagath Samantha assaulted and obstructed the duties of the then Arachchikattuwa Divisional Secretary, and again in 2015 during the presidential election he and his supporters attacked an office of the candidate Maithripala Sirisena and assaulted his supporters.[3][4][5]

Illegal environmental destruction

In 2020, a video was provided to the media in which Nishantha was seen attempting to force forest conservationists and locals to allow the mangroves in Negombo to be destroyed to build a volleyball court. When a state official questioned the impact the destruction would have on the valuable coastal mangrove ecosystem and pointed out how such continued deforestation throughout the country would lead to future generations not having any oxygen to breathe, one of Nishanthas supporters claimed that the local children "do not need oxygen". Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister S.M. Chandrasena said Sanath Nishantha was ignorant of the Wildlife Protection Act but even after the incident Nishantha claimed he would not stop despite the opposition.[6][7][8]

In August 2020, at least an acre of a Ramsar wetland in Anawilundawa in Puttalam was illegally cleared for shrimp farming. This caused massive outrage and a committee was appointed to the investigation. The police investigation revealed that Jagath Samantha, the brother of Sanath Nishantha, directed the destruction.[9][10]

Contempt of Court

The Court of Appeal issued a warrant to arrest Sanath Nishantha on 22 October 2022 after he failed to appear on court over contempt of court charges on 29 September and 5 October.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "PM Ranil receives highest Preferential votes with 500,566". hirunews.lk. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "Preferential votes- General Election 2015". adaderana.lk. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  3. ↑ "Warrant issued for arrest of Sanath Nishantha". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  4. ↑ "Police arrest North Western PC fisheries Minister Sanath Nishantha". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  5. ↑ Poornamal, Prasad; Corr, Puttalam District Group. "JO MP, brother remanded". Daily News. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Female state official stands up against the imminent destruction of the Queen's Isle in Negombo". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "Sanath Nishantha oblivious to Wildlife Protection Act: Chandrasena". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "I will proceed with the project whatsoever: Sanath Nishantha". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  9. ↑ "Investigations reveal Minister Sanath Nishantha's connection to Anavilundawa Wetlands destruction". NewsWire. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Minister's brother connected to wetlands destruction – probe". EconomyNext. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Court issues warrant to arrest Sanath Nishantha". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 13 October 2022.


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