Caroline Jurie, the reigning Mrs. World who Mrs. Sri Lanka World Pushpika De Silva accused of injuring her after Jurie grabbed the crown from her head at a recent pageant, was arrested on April 8.
Police spokesman Ajith Rohana told the BBC Jurie and model Chula Padmendra were arrested over the incident on charges of simple hurt and criminal cause.
Chandimal Jayasinghe, the national director of Mrs. Sri Lanka World, told the Colombo Gazette he, Jurie, Padmendra and De Silva recorded statements at the Cinnamon Gardens Police station in Colombo earlier in the day and that Jurie and Padmendra were arrested shortly after. Per the BBC, Jurie and Padmendra were bailed out and are expected to appear in Colombo Magistrates Court on April 19.
The arrests came days after De Silva was named the winner of the Mrs. Sri Lanka World pageant on April 4. Moments after the crowning, Jurie, who received the same title last year, interrupted the ceremony to object the decision.
"As for the Mrs. World Inc, there's a rule that you'll have to be married and not divorced," she said, according to footage of the televised broadcast shared by the Colombo Gazette. "So, I'm taking my first steps saying that the crown goes to the first runner-up."
Jurie then took the crown from De Silva's head and placed it on the runner-up's. The Colombo Gazette wrote Padmendra supported Jurie in her actions.
In a post shared to Facebook on April 5, De Silva noted she is separated from her husband but not divorced. According to the BBC, citing the post, she also wrote that she suffered head injuries after the pageant incident.
Jayasinghe told the Colombo Gazette De Silva initiated legal action against Jurie and Padmendra for uncrowning her over the divorce claim. According to the publication, he also said Jurie refused to publicly apologize to De Silva for the incident and that De Silva wouldn't accept a written apology from Jurie and Padmendra. A press release shared by Mrs. World Inc. on April 5 noted that Jayasinghe would be requesting that Jurie issue an apology.
"We are deeply disturbed and sincerely regret the behavior of our current title holder, Mrs. Caroline Jurie, Mrs. World 2020, at the crowning," the press release stated. "Her actions goes against the Mrs. Sri Lanka code of conduct and predetermined regulations she is obliged to follow during her reign. We will review the aforementioned incident and we'll be taking steps as deemed appropriate based on the outcome of our assessment."
It later added, "Let it be known, Mrs. World Inc. does not sit in moral judgment. If the delegate sent Mrs. Sri Lanka-World to compete in the international competition is legally married she will be accepted."
Pageant organizers also confirmed to the BBC De Silva's title has since been returned to her.
E! News has reached out to the Cinnamon Gardens Police and to the pageant for comment but has yet to hear back. E! News has been unable to contact Jurie.