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| Sunday, 12 December 2004 |
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Features |  |
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Nobody thought Indian soothsayer to be another Rusputin Crime Sunday by Jaympathy Jayasinghe Nobody ever thought or believed that the Indian priest cum the soothsayer could turn out to be another Rusputin - a seducer who preys on unsuspecting women who called on him to know their destiny or perhaps to find a miracle cure for an ailment. The soothsayer maintained a facade of respectability until he was unmasked by a Woman Police Constable in civilian clothing. She trapped him when he attempted to seduce her by rubbing medicinal oil on her upper body. The soothsayer had told the woman earlier to remove her blouse in order to treat her. A team of police officers from the Slave Island Police station arrested the soothsayer. He was later taken before courts and remanded until investigations are completed. Meanwhile unfolding investigation have revealed that several of his clients have complained of fraud and deception practised by him. The soothsayer had charged exorbitant fees ranging from Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 35,000 from his clients. Several complaints of fraud have been received at the Slave Island police station in this regard. Swamiji Kishore Shastri, a North Indian had arrived in Sri Lanka about two months ago and had checked into a five star hotel in Colombo. He had advertised himself in the newspapers as a reputed Indian astrologer. All what he need was a photo of his client to make an accurate prediction. A person could perhaps bring a photograph of another person for an accurate prediction the advertisement says. However clients who patronised him were wealthy women who wanted to confide their secrets to him. They met him at his plush suite at the five star hotel. The soothsayer sporting a beard and bushy hair, clad in a vetti and in a long sleeve shirt looked more of a native physician than a mystic? He targeted wealthy women who could afford the kind of money, he demanded. But his happiness was short lived when things took a different turn last week. It all happened a few days ago when a Sri Lankan woman from Australia on vacation here had read about the famous Indian soothsayer in a newspaper. She immediately got in touch with him by making a phone call. Later she called on him at his plush suite to explain her woes. The young woman was ushered into the room by an interpreter and was introduced to the soothsayer. After greeting her, he inquired her about her problem. She told him that she was eager to know her future. He then turned on his charm and told her that he wished to examine her hand. While her palm was being examined he felt the tug of uneasiness due to incessant caressing. Not satisfied with his prediction she complained to the Fort Police through an e-mail, about her ordeal. The woman subsequently left to Australia. The soothsayer had hired the services of a Muslim and a Sinhala male interpreter to communicate with his native clients as he spoke only in Hindustani. Both interpreters spoke fluent Hindustani. However things got worse for the soothsayer when clients complained to police on his behaviour. The soothsayer had to quit a five star hotel in Fort due to several complains by his clients. He then checked into another five star hotel in Slave Island to continue with his business. By now the Slave Island police had got wind of this man and the Policemen were instructed to keep an eye on him and his activities. As more complaints started pouring in, SSP Central Colombo, Lucky Dissanayake instructed OIC Slave Island Police, Chief Inspector J.M.P. Jayalath to investigate the matter. Chief Inspector Jayalath formed a team of Police officers consisting of Chief Inspector Jauffer, Sub Inspector Sugathapala, Woman Police Constable (WPC) Shushila Ranasinghe and WPC Dulanjani. Specific instructions were given to WPC Sushila to pose off as the mother of WPC Dulanjali and to discuss her career problem with the soothsayer at his hotel. They were instructed to signal other policemen outside if the soothsayer attempted to molest or rape them. WPC Sushila Ranasinghe said her colleague WPC Dulanjali who posed off as her daughter and met the soothsayer at his plush room. The soothsayer had then inquired from Sushila what brought them there and she had to explain that Dulanjali her daughter was eager to know about her destiny. Dulanjali was then told to make an offering to a god and ask a question. She asked the soothsayer what type of job that she would find in future. The soothsayer advised her to start a business. The soothsayer also reprimanded the mother that her daughter was involved with a despicable young person and advised her to give up the affair. He had told Dulanjali to make an offering at a pooja and to bring a photograph of her boy friend along with some lime fruit. He told them that the total expense for the pooja would cost them Rs 5,000. Sushila and Dulanjali told the soothsayer that they would contact him after finding the cash. On the instructions of OIC Jayalath, Shushila and Dulanjali met the soothsayer for the second time at his five star apartment. "We had no difficulty in getting an appointment as we had met him before. We had to wait for about 60 minutes in the apartment until another pooja was over. The pooja was conducted in a room inside the apartment. A lady suddenly emerged from the room after finishing her pooja, Shushila said. Dulanjali gave the photograph of her boy friend and the lime fruit that she had brought along to the soothsayer after writing her boyfriend's name on the fruit. The soothsayer then held the fingers of Dulanjali as if he was going to take her finger prints and started caressing them incessantly. Meanwhile Sushila was told to wait outside the room till the pooja was over. As soon as she stepped outside the room the door was slammed. But she stayed near the door until the pooja was over. The Soothsayer, Dulanjali and the interpreter were inside the room. When the pooja began Shushila heard the sound of a toilet door being closed. She guessed the interpreter would have gone in there on the orders of the soothsayer. The toilet was located in a side of the room. Meanwhile the soothsayer had squeezed the lime fruits and applied the juice on the thighs of Dulanjali and all over her upper body having removed her blouse. The soothsayer's next move was to embrace the woman tightly in order to absorb her evils sprits to his body. But the attempt was foiled when Sushila burst into the room. The soothsayer had a puzzled look on his face when she went in there. Simultaneously the interpreter who had locked himself in the toilet emerged on hearing the commotion. Sushila then admonished the interpreter and asked whether it was the correct way to conduct a pooja. Sushila and Dulanjali had then walked out of the room and informed Sub -Inspector Sugathapala and party waiting outside the apartment. Later the policemen showed their identity cards to the soothsayer and was arrested along with the interpreters. According to Sushila, soothsayer's wife who heard the commotion had come out of the apartment and had queried from the soothsayer why he wanted to molest women when he had a beautiful wife. |
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