Second priest arrested in a week for stealing from kovil

By Dinasena Rathugamage

Jaffna Urkavathuari police on Wednesday nabbed a priest addicted to narcotics for stealing five gold sovereigns from the till of the Kovil managed by him to pay for heroin.

The Poosari had mortgaged the five gold sovereigns at a pawnbroker to get money, the police said.The suspect was drugged at the time of arrest and he had been sent to the Urkavathurai hospital for treatment, police said.The suspect was to be produced before the Urkavathurai Magistrate.

It was the second incident of a Poosari stealing money from the temple till reported within a week in Jaffna, the police said. Another poosari was nabbed by the police for stealing from a temple till and selling off a gold receptacle and some jewelry offered by the devotees. He was remanded after being produced before the Magistrate’s court, police said.