Samurdhi Officer arrested over cattle theft

A Samurdhi Development Officer attached to the Mundalam Divisional Secretariat was arrested yesterday morning (2) by the Mahakumbukkadawala Police with the help of villagers while he was engaged in a clandestine sale of cattle in the village of Petthigama where he resides.

A 45-year-old resident of Petthigama area in Mahakumbukkadawala has been arrested as he was selling three cows for meat to a group of butchers in Mundalama Pulicchakulam yesterday (2) in the house close to his house and loading those cows into a cab.

It has been revealed in the Police investigation that this Samurdhi Development Officer is also the chairman of the Petthigama Civil Defence Committee.

Cattle theft had been happening in Petthigama and Korakahaya areas for sometime. Police say that the villagers tried to ascertain who was doing it. Police have also conducted investigations to find the people doing this theft by deploying agents.

Meanwhile, yesterday morning (2) the Samrudhi Development Officer was caught by the Police and the villagers while they were loading cattle into a cab in the house next to his house. Police arrested the Samurdhi development officer who led the cattle theft and a cab that had come to pick up the cattle and three cattle that had already been loaded into the cab.