Court awards compensation to Ranatunga

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ordered the state to pay Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri Lanka interim committee chairman, SLR 100,000 (US$ 869) in compensation after he was sacked by sports minister Gamini Lokuge last year.

The court upheld that Ranatunga was removed without any hearing or grounds of reason which was in violation of his fundamental rights to equality and natural justice.

Ranatunga, a former Sri Lanka captain was appointed interim chairman on January 1, 2008 and removed from the position on December 23, 2008. Lokuge dissolved the interim committee after Ranatunga sacked 16 SLC officials. In January this year, Ranatunga levelled defamation charges at Lokuge and demanded SLR 15 million (US$131, 579) as compensation.