JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — March 30, 2026 —
Tamil nationalist lawyer Kumaravadivel Guruparan has filed a Rs. 1 billion ($3 million) defamation lawsuit against former Election Commission member Ratnajeevan Hoole, alleging that statements published in an article damaged his professional reputation.
The case was filed in the Jaffna District Court last Friday.
The lawsuit arises from an article written by Mr. Hoole and published in the Colombo Telegraph on March 28, 2024. In the article, Mr. Hoole alleged that a group of lawyers led by Guruparan had met then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Jaffna and requested intervention to protect certain lawyers accused of preparing fraudulent affidavits.
Following the publication, similar allegations were circulated across multiple media platforms.
In his filing, Guruparan contends that the claims are false and defamatory, and that they were made with the intent to damage his professional integrity. He argues that the publication has caused significant harm to his reputation and legal career.
The suit seeks compensation of a whopping Rs. 1,000 million.
The case is expected to be taken up for hearing in due course. Mr. Hoole has not publicly responded to the allegations.
