A man found in possession of 65 litres of petrol without a valid licence has been sentenced to two months’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs. 2,500 by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court.
Mount Lavinia Magistrate Pasan Amarasena delivered the order on Thursday after considering the case against the suspect, a resident of Badovita.
The suspect had stored the petrol without authorisation, in violation of regulations in place amid the ongoing fuel crisis.
He was arrested by Wellawatte Police on the night of March 18 near a fuel station in the Wellawatte area, following information that he had collected a stock of fuel.
Police recovered four cans of petrol from his possession at the time of arrest, with the total value estimated at nearly Rs. 20,000.
The Magistrate noted that storing fuel illegally without a licence, especially during a period of fuel shortages, constitutes a serious offence.
The court thereafter imposed the fine and the mandatory two-month prison sentence. (Newswire)