Third grievance from Negombo after Kotte Maharagama

The Negombo High Court (12) has ordered the temporary closure of the 'Mr. Koththu' restaurant, which was operating at the Galkanda Junction in Negombo.

This order was issued when a case filed by Mr. K. Suranga, the Public Health Inspector in charge of the area, was taken up for hearing. The case concerned the discharge of wastewater from the restaurant's kitchen onto the public road through a pipe drilled through a wall. Previously, when this case was called on the 22nd, the court had ordered the restaurant to rectify all existing shortcomings within 14 days. However, as that order was not properly complied with, the court has made this decision.

During a previous on-site inspection conducted by the Public Health Inspector, the establishment had attempted to remove the wastewater through a drain. However, video evidence provided by residents confirmed the true situation. It is reported that residents are also preparing to file separate lawsuits related to this incident, and the case against the Koththu restaurant is scheduled to be recalled on January 08.

This is not the first time sanitation issues have arisen concerning this restaurant chain. In July 2025, a case was filed against 'Mr. Koththu Grand' located on Kotte Road, Rajagiriya, at the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court. Mr. H. A. L. R. Karunaratne, the Public Health Inspector of the Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council, filed this case against the defendant, Maliduwa Durage Dinesh Priyakantha, under 8 charges, including the use of unclean utensils for food preparation, dirty walls and floors, uncovered garbage bins, and uncovered light bulbs. 

Additionally, in October 2025, a news report emerged about a worm found in a koththu ordered from the 'Mr. Koththu Grand' branch in Maharagama. Mr. Nadun Gunawardena, the owner of VANNi Architecture Studio in Nugegoda, revealed this unfortunate incident he faced to the public through his Facebook account.

Meanwhile, there has been significant discussion on social media regarding this restaurant chain and its owner, 'Viraj'. Shashi de Silva, in a post on the Facebook group 'Badajari Sansadaya', stated that 'Mr. Koththu' charges exorbitant prices from customers and that they use political influence and black money. She also claims that a recent case filed against an individual named Vimukthi through the police, with the intervention of the said establishment, was dismissed by the judge, who also severely admonished the police. 

She further stated that she intends to file a compensation lawsuit against the establishment's owner in the future for defamation and harassment online. Various allegations have been leveled against the owner of Mr. Koththu, who maintained close ties with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and 'Pohottu' (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) members. Although it has been suggested that he expanded his business through political connections and laundered black money, he has denied these accusations. Some argue that these accusations are made by business rivals, especially given that Mr. Koththu has even opened a branch in Singapore.

In contrast to these allegations, a social media account named 'Horigampitiya' pointed out that the cheese koththu at the said restaurant is very delicious. The post further states that Viraj, the owner of the establishment, has made koththu a popular brand worldwide, and that some individuals are deliberately spreading smear campaigns against this brand for money.