Accountant's matter of prophecy

Company Accountant trapped by fortune-teller ....
who said "Madam, you are very lucky"

"Madam ... you are very lucky .... but members of your family have done a hoodoo to prevent you from advancing. Let's do a pooja, to remove that spell", so saying a fortune-teller had duped an Administrative Accountant of a private establishment for the tune of Rs. 1 lakh 70,000 and had finally disappeared.  Maharagama police have launched an investigation into the incident. The victim is a married executive officer from Talawatugoda area.
Explaining her predicament she said that with the intention of attending an extra class, had on a certain day had been approaching Maharagama Jathika Tharuna Seva Sabhava during one afternoon when she was confronted by a female fortune-teller who had got into conversation with her with the opening remark, "Madam ... you are very lucky!"

At the same time 2 other similar women had approached her and had begun explaining her fortune as well as those of her family, non-stop, the victim says. She further says that because certain comments made by them were accurate, she was convinced about them. 

These fortune-tellers have told that since members of the family had cast a spell on her, it has resulted as an impediment to her progress. The victim further said that they had charged her Rs. 900 for telling her fortune and that one of the women had said that a pooja has to be conducted for her advancement in life and because of it she had at that moment gone to the bank and withdrawn Rs.6,000 which she had handed over to her.

The victim says that the woman who accepted the money had taken her phone number and after 3 days had given her a call saying that the time for the pooja is ready and had also given her a list of items necessary to be bought for the pooja instructing her to come to Maharagama after buying the items on the list. As such, she had come once more to the original place where she met this woman previously.

Thus,after meeting the woman, she had taken the pooja items; but she had been told by the woman that further pooja items were required and that money has to be spent on those items too. The victim was then instructed to provide a bottle of water, 2 packets of milk powder, 1 kilo of sugar and a cylinder in addition to Rs. 1 lakh because a milk pooja was supposed to be done at 10 devalas. Because she had thought that she somehow or other had to get this job done, she says that she had provided all that was requested.

The victim further mentioned that apart from all this, the woman had told her that she was to win a lottery and for that too a pooja is to be carried out for which she had asked for a gold necklace and 2 rings. According to this request, the executive officer had palmed over a gold necklace valueing one pound, 2 gold rings and a pendant to the woman.

Though the woman had said that she would chant those items and after that would bring them back, no news had been heard after that from this woman.

Finally the court granted permission to the police on a request made by them to obtain a telephone record and details of the woman in order to take her into custody. Police are conducting inquiries on this matter.

Information -- Kumudu Upul Shantha