Casanova in police net

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

A casanova who had proposed marriage to 20 wealthy women and duped them after relieving them of Rs. 10.4 million was taken in for questioning by sleuths of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who tracked him down last week, the Police Media Spokesman ASP Prishantha Jayakody told the Sunday Observer.

According to CID sources, a special team was deployed to track down the 35-year-old suspect who had been evading arrest for a considerable period of time. He was finally tracked down in Negombo town. The suspect who posed off as a wealthy businessman was a resident of Thalawathugoda.

CID sources said that his modus operandi was to advertise in the newspapers for a prospective bride, preferably a divorcee with means. When women responded to the advertisement he wrote to them and showed that he was serious about marriage. Many wealthy women who took him at his word fell into his trap.

When the women got to know him well he would invite them to plush hotels and indulge in sex promising marriage. Police said the suspect took nude photographs of them and threatened them with blackmail if they did not part with their gold jewellery or land.

On several occasions, the suspect had threatened to shoot them with an automatic pistol if they complained to the police. Police said the suspect had purchased a jeep, van and an automatic pistol with the money he had received from the women. Several women who had been duped by him had complained to the CID.