Unfortunate death of one month old baby girl

Hindu Priest (Pusari) has killed a month old baby girl by shaking her saying that the child has possessed a goblin which needed to be chased away

Many people know exorcists as money makers, yet such places are always well patronized. Myths about goblins and departed souls still persist in the society and they still try to relate unusual things to unseen powers of the universe. A month old baby from Ingiriya, Saumyapura area had to pay from her life due to these myths. The parents have taken their child to a Hindu priest complaining that the child rejects mother’s milk. The priest has done a ‘pooja’ and told that the baby’s mother has possessed goblin and that goblin has entered the baby’s body through mother’s milk. Thus, they have been ordered to chase away the goblin from the interior of both the baby and the mother.
The worried parents have gone home and returned to the kovil with necessary things for a ‘pooja’. The priest has first tied a thread around the mother’s neck and told her that the goblin has left her body. Then, he has carried the baby girl into his hands and he has shaken her several times. The baby girl has cried without stopping but he has not stopped until he has announced that the goblin has left her body as well.
The parents have been worried and a bit suspicion as the baby has not stopped crying but the priest has told them that it will persist for another 9 days and everything will be normal after that. On the following day the baby has vomited and it had been brownish and they have admitted her in the hospital. But the baby has passed away on her way in an unfortunate manner. Later on, it had been found out that the baby has passed away as her ribs have been damaged by the Hindu priest when she was shaken.
Horana Courts has ordered to carry out investigations on this case as the death isn’t due to a natural cause.
Sanjana Madhushani from Poruwadanda, Saumyapura in Ingiriya who has been a month and a day when she had faced this unfortunate death.
Baby’s father (25 years old) has reported the story as below:
“Our baby stopped drinking mother’s milk from the 28th of last month. Then, we took her to Ingiriya, kovil. The priest told us that the mother is possessed by a goblin and that it has entered the baby’s body as well. He advised us that it should be chased away and a thread was tied to my wife and told us that the goblin was chased away from her body. He gave us a list of things to be brought for a ‘pooja’ for the child. He asked us to avoid 29th and to bring her on the 30th. We carried the baby and took limes and coconuts for the ‘pooja’. Then, he carried the baby to the main Kovil. He kept the baby in front of God and shook her and tied a talisman in her. He asked for Rs.1000/- and asked us to take good care of her for 9 days saying that she will take 9 days to recover. He warned us that bad things can happen during those 9 days. Baby’s hand was swollen on that night but the swelling went down after 2 hours. Baby started to drink milk again. The next day, she vomited at around 6.30 in the morning and that was all brownish. We took the baby to Horana Basel Hospital. She vomited on her way as well and we were told that the child was dead when we reached the hospital.”
Acting Magistrate of Horana Courts checked the kovil at Ingiriya and the priest was ordered to be been arrested for inquiries based on a complaint made by Horana Base Hospital.