Former Sri Lankan Minister Arjuna Ranatunga arrested over violent clash

Colombo  :  Former Sri Lankan Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga - and the country's former cricket captain - was arrested by the police on Monday over a violent clash at the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) a day earlier which left one dead and two injured.

The police said Ranatunga will presented before a local court, Xinhua news agency reported.

A group of CPC workers protested at the company premises on Sunday. When situation got intense, a security guard from the Ranatunga's security team opened fire at the protesters, killing one and injuring two.

Ranatunga was escorted off the CPC premises by special security forces during the clash. The police said the security guard who opened fire was arrested immediately.

CPC Trade Union workers on Sunday launched a strike leading to long queues at petrol stations across the island country.

Following Ranatunga's arrest, the CPC said the strike was called off.

The country plunged into a political crisis when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last Friday and replaced him with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, which means the Cabinet was automatically dissolved.

However, Wickremesinghe insisted his party still held the majority of the 225-seat Parliament and claimed himself still the incumbent Prime Minister.