The Kotahena Police yesterday, recovered jewellery worth Rs. 1.7 million stolen from a woman who resided in a lodge at Wivekananda Mawatha in Kotahena, police said.

The woman, who was from Jaffna, had rented a room at the lodge for a few days as she was to leave for France in a couple of days. She had left her jewellery in her room and gone to St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade and on her return found the bag with the jewellery missing. Following her complaint, the Kotahena police visited the lodge and questioned the owner and lodgers.

Kotahena Crime OIC SI Athula Wijesinghe told The Island that they had taken in a lodger living next to the woman’s room on suspicion and questioned him. The lodger was also from Jaffna and was living in the area for more than two years. He had confessed to the stealing of the jewellery and led the police to where the jewellery was hidden.

SI Wijesinghe said that they found the bag of jewellery intact and later the owner had identified her jewellery and claimed that nothing was missing. There were 29 items of jewellery weighing 63 gold sovereigns valued at Rs 1,736,000.

Kotahena OIC CI Neranjan Abeywardena, Crime OIC SI Athula Wijesinghe, Police Sergeants 3185 Nimal, 34545 Senaratne, 25328 Priyantha, PCs 25955 Kumarasinghe, 61027 Lakmal and WPC 2848 Kanchana participated in the raid.

Further investigations are being conducted by the Kotahena Police under the supervision of SSP Colombo North, Jayantha Perera and SP Chandrasiri Siriwardena.