Thief breaks into Sri Lankan temple in Adelaide

• The Chief incumbent of the temple, the Venerable Udagabbala Sumedha Thero, was in the temple when the crime was committed

By Easwaran Rutnam in Adelaide   

A man broke into a Sri Lankan Buddhist temple in Adelaide and stole some of the money donated by worshippers.  This was the second time the same thief struck at two different Buddhist temples in South Australia.   

CCTV footage showed the man walk into the Adelaide Sri Lanka Buddhist Vihara and walk out after committing the crime.   

 President of the Management Committee of the temple, Duminda Kottahachchi, told Daily Mirror the incident took place last Friday.   

The man had walked into the temple on Friday and stole approximately ASD 3000 before making his escape.   
The Chief incumbent of the temple, the Venerable Udagabbala Sumedha Thero, was in the temple when the crime was committed.   

He heard a noise while in another room and walked out to find the donation box was broken and money had been stolen.   

The same man had stolen money from another Buddhist temple in South Australia recently.   
He had walked into the temple at Flinders Park and walked out with ASD 800 in donations.   

The Director of that temple, Nawang Thubten, said that the temple depends on donations to operate. 

• The same man had stolen money from another Buddhist temple in South Australia recently