An incident where a woman died during an exorcism ritual performed to get rid of a demon was reported from Dummalasuriya yesterday.
Police said the incident had taken place while the exorcism was being conducted on Wednesday night by a kapumahatthaya of a devalaya in Welipenna, Udawela.
The woman had screamed a few minutes after the exorcism started and the kapumahatthaya had given her a liquid to drink. The woman after several minutes had fallen and became unconscious. She was admitted to Dunakadeniya hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Dummalasuriya Police investigating the death arrested the kapumahatthaya for questioning yesterday morning.
The body is lying at the Kuliyapitiya hospital morgue for a magisterial inquiry.
