Boy’s palm burnt by monk to dispel planetary effects

• The monk who read the horoscope had performed religious rites and burnt camphor on the boy’s palm

By M.K.Nandasena

A Buddhist monk who caused serious burn injuries to a boy by burning camphor on the boy’s palm to dispel evil planetary influence was arrested by the Weerawila police today.  
The injured is a 13-year-old boy from Weerawila Kuda Gammana area and a student of a school in Weerawila new town.  

Police said the boy who had been abandoned by his parents was living with his grandmother. Investigations revealed that the grandmother had taken the boy to a monk in the nearby Weerawila Gangatilleka Rama Vihara temple who was an astrologer and exorcist, to have the boy’s horoscope read by him.  

The monk who read the horoscope had performed religious rites and burnt camphor on the boy’s palm claiming that it was required to dispel the evil planetary effects.  
However, the boy who received serious burn injuries was admitted to the Debarawewa hospital and was later transferred to the Hambantota general hospital for further treatment.  
The suspect Buddhist monk was to be produced before the Tissamaharama Magistrate.  

OIC Women and Children’s Bureau, IP Anuradhi are conducting further investigations.