SRI LANKA MRS WORLD ARRESTED FOR INJURING FELLOW CONTESTANT
Sri Lanka police recently arrested reigning Mrs World, Caroline Jurie, for allegedly injuring the 2021 Mrs Sri Lanka winner on stage.
Mrs Sri Lanka is part of the Mrs World beauty pageant series for married women. The winners of each country's title progress to the overall Mrs World competition.
Pushpika De Silva was first announced as the winner of the Mrs Sri Lanka title in a televised ceremony. The former winner and now Mrs World was meant to crown the new winner. However, Jurie claimed that a contestant can not win the title if she is divorced before pulling the crown off De Silva's head, claiming she was unmarried.
Jurie told the audience, "There is a rule that prevents women who have already been married and are divorced, so I am taking steps to make the crown go to second place." Jurie then took the crown, which she pulled of De Silva and placed it on the runner-up.
De Silva did later explain that she is separated from her husband but not divorced.
In a Facebook post, Mrs De Silva said she went to the hospital to be treated for head injuries after the incident.
"There are a lot of single mums like me today who are suffering in Sri Lanka. This crown is dedicated to those women, those single mums who are suffering to raise their kids alone."
De Silva did continue to say that she will take legal action against the "unreasonable and insulting" way she was treated.
Both Jurie and the chief organiser of Mrs Sri Lanka pageant, Chandimal Jayasinghe, were questioned by the police.
Together with Jurie, another Sri Lankan model involved in the uproar was also arrested. A police spokesman, Ajith Rohana, stated that "Police arrested Caroline Jurie and model, Chula Padmendra, over Sunday's incident on charges of simple hurt and criminal cause."
Mrs Jurie and Chula Padmendra were bailed and will appear in the Colombo Magistrates Court on 19 April.
De Silva has been re-crowned, and pageant organisers will expect Jurie to issue a public apology.
Chief organiser, Jayasinghe said "We are disappointed. It was a disgrace how Caroline Jurie behaved on the stage, and the Mrs World organisation has already begun an investigation on the matter."