Ranatunga

Calcutta: Having been vindicated in Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court, the feisty Arjuna Ranatunga is waiting for a “certified copy” of its judgement before deciding on his next step.

As reported in these columns on Tuesday, the apex court has, in a landmark ruling, held that his removal as Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chairman, last December, had been “wrongful.”

“I’m very happy with the Supreme Court’s verdict... I didn’t ask to be reinstated, which is why the judgement makes no mention of that... I’m keeping open the option of suing the sports minister (Gamini Lokuge) in the appropriate forum, though,” Ranatunga told The Telegraph.

Speaking from Colombo on Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s lone World Cup-winning captain added: “I’ll be meeting my lawyers once I’ve received the certified copy... As I’ve said, I’m keeping an option open... The sports minister had no business acting the way he did.”

Ranatunga (MP and a former deputy minister), significantly, is free to move a “lower court” for proper damages, beyond the (SL) Rs 100,000 awarded by the apex court.

“It’s unfortunate that the government will have to pay that amount because of a mistake made by the sports minister... Again, my lawyers will be guiding me on what to do on the issue of proper damages. The Supreme Court has only awarded a token amount,” Ranatunga pointed out.

The “token amount,” by the way, could be donated to a charity.

Ranatunga had moved the apex court, via a 35-page fundamental rights application, on January 22.

Lokuge was named respondent No.1, followed by sports secretary S.Liyanagama, SLC chief executive Duleep Mendis, junior sports minister Bandura Basnayaka and the country’s attorney-general.

Ironically, Mendis (also an ex-captain) is himself being totally sidelined by the present regime in SLC, which is headed by Somachandra de Silva.

Mendis, clearly, is in an unenviable position.