Sri Lanka Police have warned relatives of individuals who had attended religious teachings through sermons by Ruwan Prasanna Gunaratne to be vigilant of self-harm.
The warning comes after seven incidents of suicides and another latest attempted suicide had been reported across Sri Lanka related to the said religious preaching.
In the latest turn of the suicidal wave within few days, another follower of the deceased religious teacher tried to commit suicide in a failed attempt on Wednesday (03) by drinking poison in the same manner as the previous seven.
Police Media Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that the young man who tried to take his own life was identified as a 27-year-old married businessman who is a resident of Siripura in Polonnaruwa.
After the failed attempt to take his life, the man had been rushed to the hospital and is currently undergoing treatment. Police investigations have revealed that he has been addicted to the deceased religious preacher’s extremist teachings and sermons and have been following them as a close disciple for nearly eight years.
Investigations have revealed that the 47-year-old religious philosopher and teacher Ruwan Prasanna Gunaratne had conducted preaching sermons while promoting death by suicide without delay in order to expedite attaining the next birth.
The Police on Wednesday (03) interrogated several individuals who had attended the preaching sessions of Gunaratne, while inquiries are underway to ascertain if the man had distributed chemicals similar to cyanide to his followers. The public has been requested not to fall victim to such religious preaching and for relatives of those who attended his sermons to remain vigilant on any possible self-harm based on the extremist teachings leading to quick death through suicide as the police suspect that if not, it can turn into a suicidal wave.
Varuna Dayaratne