Mystery continues to shroud the death of a young Buddhist monk attached to a village temple in the Bakamuna police area, in Dambulla. The monk died in hospital after consuming a dish of poisoned dhal that had been sent to the temple as alms on Sunday, June 7, Poson Poya day. Some claim the monk was murdered, while others say he committed suicide. Meanwhile, police investigations continue.
Rev. Ankumbure Seelananda Thera of the Atharagallawa Abeetha Aramya died three days after consuming the food, which was found to contain a lethal poison.
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| Rev. Ankumbure Seelananda Thera |
P.G. Jayawardana |
Three women from the household where the food had been prepared have been arrested. Police say the arrests have been made in line with proper procedure in investigations in cases of suspected homicide.
“We are waiting for the full autopsy report,” a senior police investigator told The Sunday Times. “We cannot come to any conclusions until then.”
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the police were not ruling out any possibilities. Meanwhile, several theories are circulating in the village to explain the monk’s death.
Earlier, police headquarters had claimed the late monk was of dubious character, after investigators found pornographic material on his mobile phone and pornographic literature in his room.
The Atharagallawa residents, however, are divided in opinion about the circumstances surrounding the monk’s death.
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| The Atharagallawa Abeetha Aramya. A dish of poisoned dhal was delivered to the temple on Poson Poya day |
R. P. Jayaratne, who was closely associated with Rev. Ankumbure Seelananda Thera, said that on Poson Poya day the monk had been acting in a strange way.
“He appeared to be irritated and distracted, and was not giving attention to the Poson activities in the temple. Something was definitely wrong,” he said.
Mr. Jayaratne said the monk was a strong-willed, “fiery” young man who took a firm, no-nonsense stand on village issues. He had a confrontational manner, and was ready to take on any one, even officials.
Among other things, the monk had campaigned vigorously against the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor, and in this he had the support of a large number of villagers.
“He was loved and respected by young and old,” said villager P. G. Jayawardene. “He was a devout Buddhist. The temple came first for him. We are all in a state of shock and anger over his death. We can only hope the mystery will be solved soon, because this incident has given the village a bad name.”
It is understood that the monk had received death threats on his mobile phone, and that he had told fellow villagers that he was not afraid.
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| The residents of Atharagallawa mourn the death of a much loved and respected resident. One person said the village felt ‘empty’ without him. |
Meanwhile, kidney patient R. M. Ranbanda, who says he has so far spent Rs.150, 000 on medical bills, has his own theory about the monk’s demise.
He believes the monk, who he claims had promised to donate him a kidney, had deliberately swallowed poison in order to avoid making the promised donation. Mr. Ranbanda believes the monk might have had second thoughts about making the donation.
He said Rev. Ankumbure Seelananda Thera was an inspiration to everyone in the village, and that the village felt “empty” without his presence.
During their investigations, the police were told that another monk attached to the same temple had fled the area three years ago, for unknown reasons. |
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