The Gampaha Magistrate’s Court ordered a prominent shop owner from the Miriswatta area to pay a fine of Rs. 200,000 for selling locally produced Keeri Samba rice above the government-mandated price.

The ruling was delivered on January 23 by the Gampaha Magistrate.

The legal action followed a successful raid conducted by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) investigation unit.

Acting on a complaint from a local consumer, officers discovered that the businessman was selling Keeri Samba at a rate of Rs. 380 per kilogramme, despite the maximum retail price (MRP) being strictly set at Rs. 260 per kilogramme.

During the proceedings, the CAA emphasised that under current regulations, no trader, distributor, or producer is permitted to sell or offer for sale Keeri Samba rice at a price exceeding the Rs. 260 limit.

The authority informed the court that the suspect was caught red-handed during the targeted operation.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges in open court.

Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the shop owner had a history of similar past offences.

Taking these factors into consideration, the Magistrate imposed a substantial fine to ensure stricter compliance with consumer protection laws in the future.