Police have arrested World 2020 winner Caroline Jurie after allegedly injuring another contestant during the Mrs. Sri Lanka beauty pageant on Sunday.
During the ceremony, which was broadcast on national TV, Jurie, who won Ms Sri Lanka in 2019 and went on to win Ms’ world title, took the crown from 2021 winner Pushpika De Silva. Jurie claimed that De Silva could not win Ms. Sri Lanka because she was divorced.
The contest organizer and De Silva later confirmed that she is still married. De Silva also posted about the incident on Facebook, saying she had pain in her skull when the crown was torn from her head and has been treated for injuries, according to BBC News.
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De Silva also said she would take legal action for the “unreasonable and insulting” way she was treated.
According to BBC News, police allegedly questioned Jurie and Chandimal Jayasinghe, the national director of Ms Sri Lanka World, about the incident.
Two people have now been arrested, police spokesman Ajith Rohana told BBC News. Police arrested Caroline Jurie and model Chula Padmendra after Sunday’s incident on charges of simple pain and criminal cause, Rohana said.
Jurie and Chula Padmendra will appear in court on April 19.
After taking the crown, Jurie had placed it on the head of the first runner-up, but De Silva has now been crowned again, the election organizers said. They also expect Jurie to publicly apologize.
“We are disappointed,” Jayasinghe told BBC News after the incident. “It was a shame how Caroline Jurie behaved on stage and Mrs. World’s organization has already begun an investigation into this matter.”