Mrs World arrested after crown tussle with Mrs Sri Lanka
- Beauty pageant winner Pushpika de Silva says she was injured when world title holder Caroline Jurie pulled off her crown during dispute over her marital status
- Only married women are eligible for the Mrs Sri Lanka and Mrs World contests; de Silva says she is separated, not divorced
Police in Sri Lanka on Thursday arrested the reigning Mrs World for pulling the crown off the head of the winner of a Mrs Sri Lanka beauty pageant and allegedly causing injuries. She was later released on bail.
Caroline Jurie, who won the Mrs. World 2020 competition, was accused of hurting Pushpika De Silva, who won the Mrs. Sri Lanka title at a televised pageant held in Colombo on Sunday.
Moments after De Silva won the title, Jurie, who is also Sri Lankan, came on stage and snatched the crown from her, saying she was ineligible because she was divorced. Jurie then gave the crown to the first-runner up, declaring she was the winner.
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Beauty queen released on bail after Mrs Sri Lanka pageant scuffle
In a statement on her Facebook page, De Silva denied being divorced.
“Being apart is one. Divorce is something else. I’m still an un divorced woman,” she wrote.
Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said police received a complaint from De Silva that she suffered injuries when her crown was removed.
Rohana said Jurie and a model, Chula Padmendra, were arrested Thursday on charges of “simple hurt and criminal force” and were later released on bail. The two women have been ordered to appear in court on April 19.
