News
Three including two monks arrested for stealing artifacts from temple
By Rohana Jayaratne and Jayanath Senanayake
Three individuals including two Buddhist monks have been arrested in connection with the theft of ancient relics from the upper-level Buddha shrine of the Karahampitigoda Khettarama ancient temple.
The stolen items including an ancient miniature silver Makara Thorana (archway) and seven bronze Buddha statues, were recovered along with two vehicles used in the crime. The theft occurred on the night of 27 Nov.
The suspects are a monk residing at a temple in Dompe, another monk from a temple in Mahaiyawa, Kandy, and the owner of a tourist hotel in Peradeniya.
Arrests were made by a police team from the Kegalle District Crime Investigation Unit, led by Senior Police Superintendent Y.L. Leelawansa under the directives of Sabaragamuwa Province Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Sanjeeva Dharmarathna.
The theft became public after Ven. Medirigiriye Punyasara Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the Devanagala Raja Maha Viharaya, lodged a complaint with the Mawanella Police on 28 Nov. Investigations were promptly initiated under the instructions of SDIG Dharmarathna. The stolen artifacts, estimated to be worth over Rs. 25 million, are considered part of the temple’s priceless heritage.
The investigation team, supervised by Kegalle District Deputy Inspector General of Police Roshan Rajapaksha, comprised Chief Inspector Apsara K. Abeysekara, Sergeant Roshan (69319), Sergeant Bandara (75291), Constables Upul (78543), Kasun (91060), and driver Constable (16054).
The suspects, along with the recovered artifacts, have been handed over to the Mawanella Police and they will be produced before the Mawanella Magistrate’s Court.
Police said two young monks, who were in the temple at the time of the theft, had gone missing.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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