Body of missing Buddhist monk found inside jungle

The body of the resident monk of the Piyangala historic temple, Diyathathalawe Dhammissara Thera (20), was discovered yesterday inside a shrub jungle on the Nilaveli beach in Trincomalee.

The resident monk had been missing for more than a month after the theft of an ancient statue from the temple. Chief Incumbent of the temple, Ven. Badullgammana Gunarathana Thera had reported the disappearance of the novice monk to the Bibile police. Police, who were on the lookout for the missing statue, had discovered it buried in a seven foot deep marsh land on the banks of BarawardeneOya.

Meanwhile one of the suspects taken into custody in connection with the theft had given a statement to the Bibile police that Ven.Dhammissara Thera, who went with them to Udawela in Hasalaka, had taken off his robes, burnt them and left for Maharagama dressed in a pair of trousers and a shirt.

The Bibile police had visited the Polonnaruwa Hospital Mortuary with Ven. Dhammissara Thera's father on information from the Kuchchaweli police and identified the body as that of t he missing student monk. A senior police official said that they suspect foul play and that the monk might have been killed by the other suspects involved in the theft of the Buddha statue.

OIC of the Bibile Police Chandana Basnayake was conducting further investigations on the instructions of DIG Uva Province Roshan Fernando.