Police used water cannons to disperse protesters who blocked the main road in Kahawatta and started creating disturbances.

Protests broke out in the town following the verdict of the court case on the murder of a mother and her daughter in Kotakethana in July 2012. Colombo High Court acquitted all three accused today.

People gathered at the Kahawatta town this afternoon, blocking the Ratnapura-Embilipitiya road. Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters. Some of them reportedly threw stones at the police.

Additional police personnel from Kahawatta, Opanayaka and Ratnapura police stations were deployed in the area.