Illegal abortion clinic raided, three arrested

Police had received an anonymous tip that illegal abortions were being conducted in the Attidiya area and that those operating the illegal enterprise had been charging women sums between Rs. 10,000 and 50,000 to perform the abortions through a broker

Three suspects including a doctor and a nurse who were said to be running an illegal abortion clinic in the Attidiya area in Dehiwala were ordered by Mount Lavinia Additional Magistrate Ruchira Weliwatte to be remanded until January 23.

Police had received an anonymous tip that illegal abortions were being conducted in the Attidiya area and that those operating the illegal enterprise had been charging women sums between Rs. 10,000 and 50,000 to perform the abortions through a broker.

The Gonahena Special Police Task Force together with the Mount Lavinia Police Criminal Investigations Unit had arrested three suspects and taken medicine and instruments used for the abortions into their custody, Mount Lavinia Police said.

An operation to bust this racket had been put in motion and a WPC had been sent in disguised as a woman in labour who needed an abortion. When they were about to start the abortion the police had pounced and the doctor and his assistant were taken into custody with the help of the undercover woman police constable. Police, on questioning the suspects, had been able to learn the name of the woman who had operated as a broker to bring in ‘business’ to this illegal clinic and had arrested her.

The raid was conducted by Sub Inspectors R. Akila and W. Tennakoon of the Gonahena Special Police Task Force while the Police Constables Bandara (40802) and Mahesh (79984) of the Mount Lavinia Criminal Investigation Unit had assisted with the court proceedings.