The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has removed former Moratuwa District Judge Thilina Gamage from service after finding him guilty of all charges in a disciplinary inquiry.
The JSC, headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, announced the decision. The inquiry concerned alleged misconduct over the possession of a baby elephant named Sakura, which the JSC said was held under a permit allegedly obtained fraudulently.
The government moved the elephant to the custody of the Department of Wildlife Conservation in May 2015. The JSC suspended Gamage in 2016.
Indictments were filed against Gamage and three others at the Colombo High Court on 7 November 2019. The Attorney General’s Department withdrew the criminal charges against him on 16 December 2021, citing insufficient evidence.
The JSC filed a charge sheet against him in June 2025 and pursued the disciplinary proceedings separately.
