Sri Lanka crisis: ex-PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, allies banned from leaving country

A Sri Lankan court on Thursday imposed a travel ban on former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his son Namal Rajapaksa and 15 others in view of investigations against them for the deadly attack on anti-government protesters in Colombo this week.

The Attorney General had requested for a travel ban on the 17 individuals, citing that they need to be present in Sri Lanka for the investigations on the attacks on anti-government protesters as it appears that they conspired and planned those attacks.

Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched by Sri Lanka's jail authorities on the allegations that a group of inmates from a prison camp in the island nation were used to attack the anti-government protesters, according to a media report on Thursday.

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Violence erupted in Sri Lanka on Monday after supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful anti-government protesters demanding his ouster over the country's worst economic crisis that led to acute shortages of staple food, fuel and power.