A man claiming to be an exorcist has been arrested in the Udakohowila area in Hali-ela on charges of abducting an underage girl (15).
According to Lankadeepa, the 38-year-old suspect was arrested by the Hali-ela Police yesterday (08).
Investigations have revealed that the man who travels to various areas is reportedly involved in relationships with two women from the Yakkala and Kalagedihena areas.
The suspect is said to have visited the victim’s house in the Vanela Jayanthigama area in Kanthale on a previous occasion.
After establishing a relationship with the child, the man had abducted the girl in a vehicle without the knowledge of her parents, and had brought her to Hali-ela.
The woman living with the man in Hali-ela had assumed that the victim was part of the man’s exorcism practice and had allowed her to stay in the house.
The child is reported to have gone missing in early December 2020, following which the mother of the victim had filed a complaint with the Suriyapura Police.
The suspect was later arrested following investigations conducted by the Hali-ela Police and media coverage on the missing child.
The Police said the underage girl is reportedly pregnant at the moment.
The victim who was found alongside the suspect, has been admitted to the hospital for a medical examination.
The hali-ela Police are taking steps to produce the suspect before Court. (NewsWire)