AICOA chief Asela Sampath said so while condemning the incident where veteran singer Saman de Silva had been involved in a fight with the staff of a restaurant.

Sampath urged restaurant and canteen owners to give the maximum punishment to anyone for not paying bills after having their meals.

"I order the restaurant and canteen owners to hit such people with hot water or waste water in the restaurant. Or directly hit the faces of such people with the fried rice mixture pan to flatten their faces," he said,

"Do not give free food to anyone. The hotel and canteen owners prepare their foods with great difficulty.

"Some state officers, police officers, public health officers, consumer affairs officers and politicians usually get their meals without paying for it," he said.

Singer Saman Silva and a group had visited a restaurant in Panadura on Saturday night (01) and ordered some food.

Later, a heated argument had taken place between Mr. Silva and the restaurant employees, and following that, he had tried to leave without paying the bill.

Several employees of the restaurant were injured in the incident, and some items in the restaurant were damaged.

(Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)