Upasakaama who tried a fast one on Loku Hamuduruwo saying she will build the temple building .... nabbed!

Upasakaama who tried a fast one on Loku Hamuduruwo ....

saying she will build the temple building .... nabbed!

Norton Bridge Police were able to arrest a woman who
was employed in a new kind of racket by masquerading as a philanthropist and approaching the chief incumbent of viharas and duping them.

This woman who arrived at a well-known vihara in Norton Bridge area dressed in a manner beyond suspicion in a chauffeur-driven vehicle had mentioned that she wishes to meet the chief incumbent. This happened on the 2nd of the month. When those at the temple had inquired about it, on that occasion what she had said was "I want to do a big help ... so I want to meet Loku Hamuduruwo". In a short time she was directed to the chief incumbent and she had remarked that she is from the neighbouring village and that she is a landed proprietor by generation. She had further said that she had come there on a number of occasions to worship and that she had been greatly inspired by its holy atmosphere; if there were shortcomings in the temple to tell her so and that she wishes to give some help.

At that moment the chief incumbent had responded explaining about several buildings that they lacked to which the woman had immediately said that she is willing to build one of those buildings, footing all the expenses incurred in that connection. When the chief incumbent had said that a sum of about Rs, 10 million may have to be expended she had replied saying, "No problem .... for me what is left is only to die ... no. During this short time what is left is only to engage in doing some meritorious deed". At that moment the chief incumbent had become happy and she had conversed about various other things in a confidential mood and when she had shown signs of taking his leave she had abruptly said, "Hamuduruwane ... I will undertake the responsibility of this contribution completely. But this whole amount can be paid in a short time .... I am to get some money; because there is a testamentary case going on with a brother of mine these days. I will definitely get money from that. But hamuduruwane I can hurry this up if the responsibility for payment of lawyer's fees could be undertaken by the temple .... because they also should be encouraged to settle my legacy issue. I'll be able to start on this matter even before Poson Poya hamuduruwane .... this lawyer fees is Rs. ten thousand. If you can make arrangements to make this payment from the temple now itself, it would facilitate matters".

The chief incumbent who developed a suspicion about the manner in which she asked this money from the temple realised that the woman who came to give of her contribution was bent on grabbing money from the temple. The chief incumbent who acted with opportune wisdom had then addressed her and asked her to wait awhile for him to contact a donor who is closeby and to ask him to bring this money. She had been satisfied with this and had remained back at the temple. In the process the chief incumbent had phoned the police and had said that a suspicious character had come there. Officers of Norton Bridge Police who arrived on the scene interrogated this woman who pretended to comport herself as a wealthy woman and in the presence of the police she began mincing her words at which moment she came out with the truth. As such, the police then took her into custody.

The suspect was W.M. Swarna Punchikumarihamy of 50 years hailing from Iriyagolla area in Peradeniya, a mother of three children. She had arrived at the temple that day in a hired vehicle. She had admitted at the police station that she had come to the temple having set up a strategy of grabbing this money. It was revealed at further investigations that she had been involved in this racket for sometime collecting money from village temples and there were complaints lodged against her at Tissamaharama, Wellawaya and Bandarawela Police Stations and even court cases are proceeding at present.

Acting Magistrate of Hatton, Mr. S. Rajendran directed her to be remanded until next 6th. Photo taken at the time she was taken to court, from BELOW