Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe visits Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai

ANI
22 Nov 2025, 14:32 GMT+10

Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 22 (ANI): Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai on Saturday, months after securing bail in a high-profile public funds misuse case back home.

He was accompanied by his wife, Maithri Wickremesinghe, during the temple visit, which was held under tight security arrangements by local police.

Wickremesinghe and his wife arrived in India on Friday.

The world-famous Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple attracts thousands of devotees from across the country and abroad every day.

The visit comes at a sensitive time for the former president, who was named a suspect in an ongoing investigation into the alleged misuse of government funds for a private overseas trip involving ten individuals.

According to Daily Mirror Online, Colombo Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura granted him bail in August, releasing him on three sureties of LKR 5 million each. The case involves an alleged misappropriation of LKR 16.6 million.

Last month, Wickremesinghe was ordered to appear in court on January 28, 2026, for his next hearing in connection with an ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of state funds.

The case concerns expenses incurred during a visit to a UK university, which Wickremesinghe attended while returning from a United Nations meeting.

Wickremesinghe, a six-time prime minister, became Sri Lanka's interim president in July 2022 after the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He later contested the 2024 presidential election but lost to Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People's Power. (ANI)

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Russia Herald.

More Information

Business

Section

Nvidia surges on strong outlook, easing market jitters over AI boom

SANTA CLARA, California: Nvidia delivered a powerful reminder of its dominance in the AI hardware boom on November 19, reporting results...

Dow Jones jumps 493 points to end week on positive note

NEW YORK, New York - Wall Street staged a robust rally to end the week, with small-cap stocks leading the charge, while major Asian...

The Lancet calls for action on rising ultra-processed food risks

LONDON, U.K.: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a serious public health risk that needs urgent action, according to a new set of papers...

Rising memory chip prices to push Xiaomi phone costs higher in 2025

BEIJING, China: Xiaomi is bracing consumers for more expensive smartphones next year, saying a global surge in memory chip prices is...

xAI seeks massive funding round valuing firm at $230 billion, WSJ says

PALO ALTO, California: Elon Musk's artificial-intelligence venture is preparing for one of the most significant fundraising efforts...

U.S. stocks dive despite upbeat employment report

NEW YORK, New York - A better-than-expected jobs report failed to stem the selling on Wall Street on Thursday, reversing the gains...

World

Section