Gold necklace snatched at temple festival

A female resident of Kilinochchi who snatched a gold necklace worth about Rs. 600,000 from a woman at the Murugan Kovil located on Kew Road in Kompannaveediya was arrested by the Police yesterday.

Due to the annual festival of the kovil, a large number of devotees had gathered at the kovil premises day before yesterday.

Police said that devotees from different parts of the island come for this festival at the kovil.

According to the police, the gold necklace worn by a woman resident from Soysapura, Moratuwa, was snatched during a stampede among the devotees, by another woman who had come from Kilinochchi specially to engage in such robberies.

When the police arrested her, the woman had thrown away the necklace, which was later found in the kovil grounds. The suspect was to be produced in court.

The police mentioned that it was suspected that another group had come with her, specially to carry out such thefts.