Karaokes to come under close scrutiny

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

Several Karaoke restaurants in the Colombo city, in suburbs and elsewhere in the country will come under the scrutiny of the police with the amendment to section 360 of the Penal Code being passed in Parliament. A Korean proprietor of the exclusive restaurant was produced in Court and remanded pending further investigations.

Acting on a tip off the Police Women and Child Protection Bureau raided a Karaoke restaurant in Colombo 7, and took in for questioning twenty young girls aged between 20-25. Among the women was a university student, who entertained customers who call over at the Karaoke restaurant.

The university student said that several of her batch mates at the university were on the pay roll of the Karaoke restaurant. "We are made to wear skin-tight clothing and dance along with the customers from dusk to dawn," the student had told the police.

Apart from the salary a hostess earns around Rs. 500-600 per night from tips, for dancing with clients.

But the ugly side of it was that the women can be enticed into prostitution, Inspector Manoj Samararatne said.

In a separate raid the Police Anti Vice Striking Force (AVSF) at Walana Panadura on a tip off raided a restaurant cum gambling club at Wennappuwa last Friday night and took into custody nine persons engaged in gambling. Police found Rs. 35,000 as ground money and recovered Rs. 298,000 in the possession of wealthy businessmen who were engaged in gambling.

According to Inspector Duminda Balasuriya, the businessmen had come from Kurunegala, Dankotuwa, Negombo, Wennappuwa, Chilaw, and Kotandeniya in their luxury vehicles. Sub-Inspector Mahagedera who posed off as a wealthy businessman took part in the gambling. There were more than 50 luxury vehicles owned by businessmen, police said.

The manager of the restaurant was also taken in for questioning for selling liquor without a permit, OIC Anti Vice Striking Force, Inspector Duminda Balasuriya said. The suspects were handed over to the Wennappuwa police. The raid was conducted under the direction of DIG, D. A. Fonseka, SSP Jayantha Perera and ASP D. L. Ranaweera.