Sri Lankan police on Monday arrested Sri Lanka’s Minister of Petroleum Arjuna Ranatunga after one of his bodyguards shot into crowds blocking him from entering his office.
The police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara told Reuters, “Colombo Crime division arrested Ranatunga over the shooting incident and he will be produced to the court shortly.”
The arrest came as petroleum trade unions aligned with Rajapaksa’s SLPP threatened indefinite strikes until Ranutunga was arrested.
Responding to the appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister, crowds of Sirisena and Rajapaksa loyalists in Colombo have been stopping ministers from Wickremesinghe's ministerial cabinet from entering their respective buildings.
Ranatunga was released on temporary bail a few hours later.
