A gem worth over Rs. 50 million given to the Kataragama Devalaya as an offering by a gem merchant in the Ratnapura area, has reportedly gone missing.
An investigation has commenced regarding the disappearance of the gem.
Meanwhile, the Colombo Crimes Division yesterday (09) obtained a statement from the wife of underworld leader Angoda Lokka, Agampodige Nisasanla, regarding the disappearance of a 38-pound gold plate that had been donated to the Kataragama Devalaya.
It is said that the gold salver was offered to the Kataragama Devalaya on July 03, 2019 to ward off bad karma of their son.
The disappearance of the golden salver was notified to the Basnayake Nilame of the Kataragama Devalaya through a WhatsApp message on October 17th and the Basnayake Nilame had lodged a complaint with IGP C.D. Wickramaratne on October 18.
Accordingly, the IGP had instructed the CCD to conduct an investigation into the disappearance of the golden salver.
With the commencement of those investigations, on the 26th of last month, a person named N. M. Ajith Pushpakumara had brought a gold salver similar to the missing one and handed it over to the Administrative Secretary of the Kataragama Devalaya.
He had said that when he visited the house of the Chief Kapuwa of the Devalaya, Somapala Ratnayake, he had given the salver to him and asked him to hand it over to the Devalaya.
It is reported that Pushpakumara had notified the Administrative Secretary through a letter given at the time of handing over the salver that the Chief Kapuwa had told him that it belonged to the Devalaya.