Soldier charged with robbery

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 December 1998, 00:13 GMT]
A soldier who had returned home on leave from the battlefront was produced before the Magistrate of Homagama, a suburb of Colombo, charged with theft amounting to more than 150,000 rupees, said sources in Colombo Tuesday.

The soldier, who was arrested by the Padukka police, is accused of robbing household appliances, jewellery, garments and other items.

There has recently been a spate of robberies in Sri Lanka, either initiated or aided by members of the armed forces and military deserters.

This has embarrassed the Government of Sri Lanka and created a climate of uncertainty amongst the general public.