The department responsible for maintaining law and order has been coming into public focus now and again due to the queer things happening in it for some time.

Perhaps, the latest queer thing reported from this department relates to a funny service extension granted to a high-up in the department. 

The high-up involved is the head of the division handling financial crimes. When he reached the age of retirement, he was granted a one-year service extension, but he was asked to remain at home for one month before resuming work in the extended period. And a namesake of his was appointed to act in the post in the interim!

Some inquisitive ones who had made discreet inquiries as to why the divisional chief was required to resume work after a one-month gap soon stumbled on the reason.

The highest one in the yahapalanaya echelons had received an unusual request from a leading Buddhist prelate in the upcountry relating to the departmental high-up functioning in his area playing an additional role as a Kedum-bindum Vedamahattaya (an orthopedic Ayurvedic physician).  “The Police chief in our area serving the people as a Kedum-bindum Vedamahattaya as well, is due to retire from service in another one month’s time. In fact, I too am taking treatment from him. Please give him a promotion to a higher rank without delay so that he will be entitled to a higher pension on retirement.”

The highest authority could not disregard this request so he had the financial division chief sent on retirement to make way for promoting ‘Vedamahattaya’. When the ‘Vedamahattaya’ now promoted to a higher rank, goes on retirement in another one month, the retired financial crimes division head will be reinstated with a service extension to resume duties in the same post! What a fuss they had to make just to give a promotion to a service high-up!