Following purse thief: Deputy Minister's latest story

Following purse thief: Deputy Minister's latest story

The two who are mostly spoken about these days in the field of politics are Thevarapperuma and

Ranjan. The two of them have a splendid ability to create news-captions every week. Having gone beyond the duty of acting,  Ranjan is someone who does what others find it

difficult to do.

Ranjan has been recently able to give life to the heroic role of the cinema by pursuing a 'kudda' (drug addict) who was involved in pickpocketing and catch him by the scruff of his neck. Some days back on an afternoon he had come close to the Savoy Cinema Hall in Wellawatta for a matter relating to a propaganda campaign related to the film "Maya"  where Ranjan happened to be playing the main role and on spotting a hulabaloo going on there had inquired as to what it was about. Just then a person who was being manhandled by the crowd of people there had pointed his finger at a pickpocket and had said, "Aney sir ... I didn't take the purse. There that is the fellow who took it ... I came only for his support". So saying the thief who uttered those words had started to beat a retreat fro that spot. When he thus started to flee along the road leading towards the sea near the Savoy Cinema Ranjan had soon got into action and had pursued the man in his jeep. The pickpocket had run along the road leading to the sea and having deviated to a by-lane. Since it was not possible to drive further along the by-lane, what Ranjan had done was jump out of the jeep and followed the pickpocket thereafter. The bodyguards of the Deputy Minister too had run behind him. Subsequently after some great effort Ranjan had been successful in grabbing the pickpocket into his custody.

What the thief had initially said was, "I didn't take anybody's money ... are you'll mad? The money was taken by the man who was near the hall". When the security officers threatened the man only that he had come out with the truth. "Aney sir ... I took the purse. I am addicted to drugs for a period of 3 years. I need Rs. 3000 for a day to get the drugs. I took Rs. 6500 from that man. Here's that money ... don't beat me!" he had finally admitted.

What Ranjan had told him was, "You don't get involved in work like this. f you don't have a job, I'll find one for you". Ranjan had then palmed out a sum of Rs. 2000 from his own purse to the man. After the pickpocket and his colleague was taken into custody by Wellawatta Police, the story thus came to an end.