Sri Lanka court bans ex-PM, allies from leaving country
A Sri Lankan court on Thursday banned former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his politician son Namal and 15 allies from leaving the country over acts of violence against anti-government demonstrators.
The magistrate in the capital Colombo also asked police to investigate Monday's mob attacks on peaceful protesters, which led to retaliatory violence that claimed nine lives and caused widespread destruction.
Many Sri Lankans on Thursday thronged buses in the main city Colombo to return to their hometowns with leaders of political parties due to meet after the prime minister quit and went into hiding and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa warned of anarchy.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Hundreds of people thronged the main bus station in the commercial capital after authorities lifted an indefinite curfew at 7am (0130 GMT). The curfew will be reimposed at 2pm.
The island nation, battling its worst economic crisis since independence, was gripped by violence earlier this week after supporters of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president's elder brother, attacked an anti-government protest camp in the commercial capital Colombo on Monday.
