A Silent Message? Mysterious Garland Appears Around Officer’s Photo

A curious and unsettling incident at the Mirihana Police Station has triggered a special internal investigation, raising eyebrows across police circles and beyond.

A white flower garland — typically associated with funerals and mourning in Sri Lankan tradition — was found carefully placed around a framed photograph of Chief Woman Police Inspector Varuni Keshala Bogahawatta, the Officer-in-Charge of the Women and Children’s Bureau.

The act occurred in her absence. According to initial reports, an unidentified individual entered the bureau during a time when Inspector Bogahawatta was not on duty and hung the garland on her photo without detection.

While no physical damage was reported, the gesture is being taken seriously by senior police officials due to its symbolic weight. In local custom, placing such a garland on someone’s photo can be interpreted as a curse, a warning, or even a death wish — especially when done without consent.

Police confirmed that an investigation is now underway under the supervision of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), on the directions of Nugegoda Division SSP Mangala Dehideniya.

Adding to the mystery, Inspector Bogahawatta is currently hospitalized at the Narahenpita Police Hospital, reportedly due to a fever. Sources say she has been on medical leave since shortly after the incident occurred. She was recently transferred from the Matara Police Headquarters to head the Women and Children’s Bureau at Mirihana.

Was this a prank with sinister undertones? A symbolic threat tied to an ongoing case? Or something more personal — and internal?

As the investigation unfolds, many within the department are watching closely. For now, the garland hangs not just as a symbol — but as a question mark.