Two women fined Rs.60,000 each for running brothels

10 others pleaded guilty of engaging in prostitution

Two women who pleaded guilty of running brothels at Habarana, Palugaswewa and Kasyapagama were fined Rs.60,000 each while 10 other women who pleaded guilty of engaging in prostitution Rs.100 each by Kekirawa Magistrate Dulani Weerawardena.

The two main suspects who pleaded guilty of running brothels were residents of Palugaswewa and Habarana. They had been taken into custody by the Habarana Police during raids on the suspected brothels and produced in court.

Police told court that the suspects had been running brothels under

Police told court that the suspects had been running brothels under the pretext of Ayurvedic massage clinics and that the suspects were not in possession of a licence

the pretext of Ayurvedic massage clinics and that the suspects were not in possession of a licence issued by the Ayurvedic Department to run massage clinics nor had they employed a qualified Ayurvedic physician.

However, the women who pleaded guilty of engaging in prostitution were from Nikaweratiya, Maho, Anuradhapura, Galenbindunuwewa, Passara and Aralaganwila.

Police had carried out the raid on a search warrant issued by the Kekirawa Magistrate. They said though the suspects claimed to have run Ayurvedic massage clinics, they had not obtained licences for it or employed Ayurvedic physicians for service.

A police team under Habarana Police OIC Inspector P.U.W. Pitigala carried out the raid on the instructions of ASP Tissa Lal de Silva.