India Refutes Rumors Of Helping Gotabaya Rajapaksa And His Family Flee To Maldives

The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka on Wednesday refuted rumors that India helped outgoing Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa flee Sri Lanka for Maldives.

Later, the Sri Lankan Air Force said the ministry of defense of the island-nation provided necessary clearance to Gotabaya and first lady Ioma through powers vested to the president under the Sri Lankan constitution.

It also confirmed it provided the Antonov-23 which flew them to Male. The president was unwelcome in Male as air traffic controllers denied permission to land but then Maldives’ Majlis speaker and former president Mohamed Nasheed intervened to make way for the embattled president.

There are speculations that Rajapaksas may leave for another location soon from Male.

“High Commission categorically denies baseless and speculative media reports that India facilitated the recent reported travel of Gotabaya Rajapaska and Basil Rajapaksa out of Sri Lanka,” the Indian High Commission said via a tweet.

“India will continue to support the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realize their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values , established democratic institutions and constitutional framework,” it further added.

Sri Lankan news outlets reported that Gotabaya already signed the document that confirmed his resignation.

The Rajapaksas skipped four flights on Tuesday which were slated to take them outside Sri Lanka as immigration staff expressed their disapproval in letting them through.

The Rajapaksas wanted to get through the immigration and customs without standing in the queue with the general public fearing reprisal and officials at the immigration and the Colombo International Airport did not heed to their demands.

Eventually the flights left without the Rajapaksas onboard.

Earlier on Tuesday noon, Basil Rajapaksa was apprehended by angered public and the immigration authorities denied him access to the flight by refusing to stamp his passport. Sloganeering began and Basil left the airport shortly after. He was scheduled to fly to Dubai from where he would have boarded another flight to Washington DC.

After news of Rajapaksas’ escape surfaced, protests broke out in Colombo as angry group of protesters took to the streets expressing their disappointment towards the help they received in fleeing the nation.

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