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Website owner and 27 others arrested

04 Jul 2021

By Buddhika Samarasinghe and Dinitha Rathnayake   A total of 28 suspects had been arrested as of yesterday (4) over the sale of a 15-year-old girl on the internet, including the owner and the financial controller of the website on which she was advertised, according to the Police. Police Media Spokesman Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) of Police Ajith Rohana, speaking to the media yesterday, said that the owner of the website www.lanka.ads.com is a 45 year old resident of Nalluruwa, Panadura, while the financial controller is a 43-year-old resident of Alubolanda, Mavittara, in Piliyandala. SDIG Rohana said that the arrests of these two suspects were made by the Cyber Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). The spate of arrests follows the arrest of a man by Mount Lavinia Police on 7 June over suspicion of having sold a 15-year-old girl via a website. The man was also charged with sexually assaulting the girl over the internet and was remanded after being produced before the Moratuwa Magistrate’s Court. SDIG Rohana said at the time that the girl had been sold to various people for Rs. 10,000, Rs. 15,000, and Rs. 30,000 each for about three months. “According to the provisions of the Penal Code (Amendment) Act No. 22 of 1995, procuring is an offence. Therefore, those arrested in connection with the incident will be charged under the relevant sections of the Penal Code”. The investigation was later taken over by the Women and Children’s Bureau of the Police on the instructions of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne. SDIG Rohana also said that the CID was also tasked with investigating the matter later. Speaking further, he said that the suspects have been arrested on suspicion of preparing the relevant advertisement, transporting the girl, and abusing the girl. Among the suspects who were previously arrested are the victim’s mother, another woman, the person who prepared the advertisement, a three-wheeler driver, a car driver, and 17 suspects who “purchased” the girl online, he said. Sri Lanka Police arrested three more suspects, including the Deputy-Chairman of the Mihintale Pradeshiya Sabha on Wednesday (30 June) night, in connection with the case. Mihintale Pradeshiya Sabha Deputy-Chairman Lalith Edirisinghe was also arrested on 30 June in connection with the procuration and sexual exploitation of the 15-year-old girl and was remanded till 15 July after being produced before Colombo Magistrate's Court. Following his arrest, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) took steps to suspend his party membership. The SLPP stated that he has been suspended from his duties and he cannot function as a member of the SLPP until further notice. SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam also said in the statement issued by the party that disciplinary action would also be taken against Edirisinghe. The CID, Mount Lavinia Police, and Police Women and Children’s Bureau are jointly conducting further investigations into the matter.  


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