Aug 17, Tangalle: A Sri Lankan court today has released a politician charged with raping a underage girl on bail.

The Tangalle Magistrate’s Court today released the councilor of the Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha Anjana Liyanage and 9 other suspects who are accused of repeatedly raping a 13-year-old girl.

Tangalle District Magistrate Yuresha De Silva released the suspects on a 25,000 rupees cash bail and two personnel bails amounting to one million rupees each.

A total of 21 suspects have been arrested for sexually abusing the teenage girl over a period at an inn in the southern beach town of Tangalle.

Eleven of the suspects had been released earlier on bail. The owner of the inn where the girl had been kept and raped is still in remand custody.

The case will be taken up on August 29 for hearing.

The case has outraged the child rights activists who demand severe punishments to the culprits who commit heinous crimes on children.

Despite tough laws in existence, child molestations have been alarmingly on the increase in Sri Lanka, since the punishments are not imposed strictly, especially when politicians are involved in the crimes, child rights groups point out.

They say most of the offenders get out on bail and repeats the crimes and call for authorities to make rape a non-bailable offense.