Sri Lankan police detained an Indian citizen from Tamil Nadu who was on a family holiday in the island for wearing a dress with the image of Buddha on it, The Hindu reported.
She was only released after she signed a statement and apologised.
“Just as we were about to make the payment at the counter, three cops came up to us and said they needed to arrest and take my niece. We were terrified,” aunt of the woman who was detained told the paper.
“One of my nephews rushed to the store next door and bought a T-shirt, so my niece could wear it over the dress. But the police did not allow her to do that. They asked her to come to the police station with them,” she reportedly added.
Defending the police's actions, the force's spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara told The Hindu, “wearing such a print is an offence according to the penal code. It is not just about the Buddha, wearing prints of deities of any religion is considered offensive."
