Winner regains title after on-stage fracas

COLOMBO: A beauty pageant winner who had her crown yanked off by last year’s champion in an ugly on-stage fracas has been redeclared the victor and says she will sue.

Pushpika de Silva, who needed hospital treatment after the incident at Sunday’s gala, was named “Mrs Sri Lanka” again at a smaller ceremony on Tuesday.

“I forgive everyone involved in this incident,” an emotional de Silva told reporters on Tuesday.

“If anyone thinks they can obstruct me by doing this type of thing, they will not succeed. I am an iron woman.”

She said, however, that she planned to launch legal action against her alleged attacker, reigning champion Caroline Jurie.

Jurie had forcibly removed de Silva’s crown on stage in the climax of the ceremony, saying that de Silva was divorced and therefore ineligible for the prize.

Organisers said they were claiming compensation from Jurie for damages to the stage and backstage dressing rooms.