A viral video has emerged of a member of the public confronting a teenager who had purchased a bottle of arrack from a winestore in Bandarawela at 08.00 in the morning.

In the video, a man is seen questioning the 19‑year‑old boy after spotting him walking out of the winestore with a schoolbag.

Inquiries reveal that the boy had used money provided for tuition fees to buy a bottle of arrack for Rs. 3,100.

The member of the public is also seen confronting the winestore workers over the sale of liquor to a teenage boy, making them retake the bottle and return the money to him. (Newswire)

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Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake today (11) told Parliament that the Treasury could provide financial assistance for a student of Bandarawela Dharmasoka Vidyalaya who suffered severe facial burns in a laboratory accident, if details of the child were submitted. 

Addressing the Parliament, he said he had spoken to the Treasury Secretary and that the government was prepared to intervene to support treatment.

The assurance came in response to Opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, who raised the issue under Standing Orders. 

Addressing the Parliament, Dassanayake alleged the accident occurred due to a teacher’s mistake and criticized authorities for failing to launch an inquiry. 

He highlighted that the injured child, from a family of four without a father, is unable to attend school and requires plastic surgery.

He said, yet no investigation or assistance had been provided by the Governor, Education Zone Director, or Ministry of Education.

Thanking Rathnayake for the pledge of support, Dassanayake pressed for a proper probe, claiming reports suggested the teacher had thrown a substance on the child. 

He urged authorities to establish how the accident occurred and hold those responsible accountable. (Newswire)

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The Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday (10) fined a popular coffee shop in Bandarawela Rs. 400,000 after the company pleaded guilty to four charges of violating consumer protection laws.

The case was filed following a raid conducted by officers of the Consumer Affairs Authority’s (CAA) Badulla District Office, which uncovered serious offences.

According to the CAA, the company admitted to selling cakes and biscuit packets without mandatory label information such as price, weight, manufacture date and expiry date, while also keeping expired biscuit packets for sale. 

In addition, expired food items were found stored in refrigerators and storage areas for use in food and beverage preparation, misleading consumers.

The CAA stressed that consumers must remain vigilant when purchasing food items, even from well‑known branded outlets, and urged the public to check labels, prices and expiry dates carefully. 

Violations of consumer rights can be reported via the Consumer Affairs Authority hotline 1977, it added. (Newswire)

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National People’s Power (NPP) member Sagaradheera Vishva Vikrama today was elected as the Mayor of the Bandarawela Municipal Council after securing eight votes.

He was elected as mayor with a majority of four votes, receiving six votes from the NPP, along with two votes from Independent Group 02 and one vote from Independent Group 01.

For the position of Deputy Mayor, the NPP nominated Srikanth Nanda from Independent Group 01, who also secured eight votes, the same as the newly elected mayor.

Independent Group 01’s Mohammed Naushad, who contested for the mayoral position, received only four votes from his group. He also contested for the deputy mayor position and received the same number of votes.

A notable aspect of the election was that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), which had previously stated its intention to secure power within the council alongside the opposition, abstained from participating in the voting process. (Newswire)

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The Police have sought public assistance to arrest a suspect wanted over the robbery of money and gold jewellery from a house in Bandarawela on 03 May 2025.

Based on a complaint received by the Ella Police, the suspect had stolen Rs. 45,000 in cash and gold jewellery worth nearly  Rs. 700,000. 

Police investigations have found CCTV footage of the suspect escaping after having robbed the house. 

As the Police are unable to uncover details about the suspect, they have requested public help for this purpose.

Those with information about the suspect have been requested to contact the Police via the hotlines 071- 8591524  or  057- 2228522. (Newswire)

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The Bandarawela Police has launched an investigation into an incident where the body of a young woman had been exhumed and left undressed at the cemetery. 

According to media reports, the 25-year-old woman had recently passed away from pneumonia in the Badulugasthenna area in Bandarawela.

The father of the deceased had visited the grave last morning, as the seventh-day almsgiving ceremony had been planned by the family today (Jan 08).

Upon arriving at the grave, the father had witnessed the exhumed body, which had been undressed and left by the side of the grave. 

The family promptly informed the Police, who raised suspicions that the body had been intentionally exhumed and defiled.

The remains have been laid to rest again after it was examined by the Bandarawela Acting Magistrate, along with Criminal Investigation Officers.

The Bandarawela Police have initiated a thorough investigation into the incident to apprehend those responsible. (NewsWire)

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The Education Ministry has decided to allow school students in the Bandarawela education zone, staying at a relative’s house or another place due to displacement, to receive education from any nearby school.

According to Ada Derana, Zonal Education Director of Bandarawela, H.M.M. Dhammika Herath said that the decision was taken due to the absence of a large number of students due to the prevalent inclement weather conditions. 

Meanwhile, measures have been taken to close the Haldummulla Koslanda Makaldeniya Tamil Primary School and the Miriyabedda Tamil Primary School due to the non-attendance of students.

The decision has been taken due to the students failing to attend school as a result of possible disaster incidents as a result of inclement weather. (NewsWire)

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The Police have sought public assistance to apprehend the suspect wanted over the murder of a woman at a hotel in Bandarawela yesterday (Aug 24).

The suspect had hacked to death a 40-year-old woman from Etampitiya inside a room at the hotel and had fled the area.

Police investigations reveal that the 50-year-old man from Kelaniya had checked in at the hotel the previous day and had brought the woman to the hotel yesterday.

As the suspect had left the hotel hurriedly in the evening, hotel employees had inspected the room on suspicion and had found the woman’s body.

The Police have sought public assistance to apprehend the suspect, urging the public with any information to contact the Police via 071 8591523 / 071 8710108 / 071 8594033. (NewsWire)

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