Sri Lanka’s former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa filed a fundamental rights violation petition to Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court requesting that it blocks any attempts by the government to arrest him.

The move comes after Mr Rajapaksa was called in for questioning by the government initiated bribery commission on Monday, regarding allegations of corruption. He has been called to appear again in front of the commission by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) on May 20.

The head of the Tamil National Alliance has expressed his confidence in President Maithripala Sirisena’s ability to present a political solution based on autonomy for the Tamil people in their traditional homeland to the Sinhala people.

“We have high hope that President Maithiripala Sirisena would speak to the Sinhala community with an open mind seeking support to find a sustainable political solution to the six decade old Tamil problem,” Sampanthan said at an event in Batticaloa.

The leader of the TNA further said his party was not asking for a separate state or a federal solution within Sri Lanka.

The former chief minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa has been cleared of all charges of corruption by an Indian court on Monday.

"Truth and justice have prevailed," said Ms Jayalalithaa in a statement after the court decision. "I am immensely satisfied, the verdict has paved the way for me to emerge as tested pure gold," she added.

Ms Jayalalithaa maintained that there was no wrongdoing and that the charges were “foisted (on me) by political enemies.”

The ruling now clears the way for her to return as chief minister.