A popular hotel in Batticaloa city has been sealed for two weeks under an order issued by the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court, after allegations that the establishment sold food items unfit for human consumption.
The court ordered the closure of the premises for a fortnight and imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000, Ada Derana reported. The action followed a raid and inspection by Public Health Inspectors acting on instructions from the Batticaloa District Regional Director of Health Services and under the guidance of Medical Officer of Health Dr. A. Udayakumar.
The hotel had previously been warned by the court on two separate occasions, making this its third formal sanction. The establishment was not named in the report.
The case adds to a steady run of PHI-led enforcement actions this year, including more than 800 prosecutions in a pre-Avurudu food safety drive and legal action against more than 400 traders during the festive season. Repeat-offender prosecutions of city-centre hotels remain comparatively rare; sealing orders are typically reserved for premises where earlier compliance warnings have not produced a change in practice.
