What Happened.
On The Record.

2025 criminal shooting surge

Police reported 114 shooting incidents, 60 deaths and 57 injuries during 2025, with organised crime and narcotics rivalries a major driver.

Crow Island / Kotahena police 'encounter' deaths

Two suspects arrested over a fatal Kotahena shooting were shot dead by police at Crow Island after police said they tried to seize officers' weapons while being taken to recover hidden firearms.

An allegation, arrest or indictment is not treated as guilt. This record documents that the allegation exists and how it was handled, not that it is true.

Ganemulla Sanjeewa killed inside court

A gunman disguised as a lawyer entered the Hulftsdorp court complex and killed a high-risk remand prisoner.

Kotmale SLTB bus crash — 23 killed

An inquiry found driver fatigue was the primary cause and that mandatory rest regulations under the Motor Traffic Act had been violated.

Sathsara Nimesh death in Welikada police custody

Sathsara Nimesh died after being taken into Welikada Police custody.

An allegation, arrest or indictment is not treated as guilt. This record documents that the allegation exists and how it was handled, not that it is true.

Weligama opposition politician killing

SJB politician Lasantha Wickramasekara was shot dead.

Akuregoda lawyer and wife shot dead

Attorney Buddhika Mallawaarachchi and his wife were shot dead in Akuregoda, prompting an exceptional nationwide response from the legal profession.

Negombo prison riot — 26 deaths

Twenty-six people ultimately died in a major prison riot; the prison was operating far above intended capacity.

323 Customs containers released uninspected

Parliamentary material recorded that 323 containers were released without mandatory physical inspection, contrary to accepted Customs procedures.

Kumara Jayakody corruption indictment

Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody was indicted over alleged financial misconduct dating to his earlier Fertiliser Corporation role and later resigned as Energy Minister amid the broader coal crisis.

An allegation, arrest or indictment is not treated as guilt. This record documents that the allegation exists and how it was handled, not that it is true.

Lal Kantha luxury-house / wealth controversy

Opposition politicians and media scrutiny focused on Agriculture Minister K.D.

An allegation, arrest or indictment is not treated as guilt. This record documents that the allegation exists and how it was handled, not that it is true.

Low-quality coal / procurement crisis

Inferior-quality coal and procurement failures became a major national controversy, affecting generation and triggering high-level resignations.

Treasury US$2.5m cyber/payment theft

Government funds totalling about US$2.5 million were fraudulently diverted through compromised payment processes.

Grade 5 exam remedy violated fundamental rights

The paper leak itself began before AKD took office, but the Supreme Court held that the Cabinet's remedy of awarding free marks for leaked questions violated fundamental rights.

Speaker Ranwala credentials resignation

Questions over Asoka Ranwala's academic credentials erupted after he became Speaker; he resigned after only weeks in office.

Grade 6 education reform / module fiasco

An inappropriate external link and broader rollout concerns made Grade 6 education reforms a dominant national controversy; rollout was adjusted/postponed.

IMF renegotiation promise → policy continuity

Once in office, the government largely preserved the IMF/debt-restructuring framework despite campaign rhetoric suggesting greater renegotiation and relief.

Education-spending promise remains far from 6% of GDP

The NPP manifesto pledged a gradual, planned allocation of at least 6% of GDP to education.

'Monkey caused blackout' explanation

The Energy Ministry initially said a monkey contact at a substation had triggered the island-wide outage, an explanation that became internationally mocked before later technical clarification.

9 Feb 2025 nationwide blackout

Sri Lanka suffered an island-wide power failure.

Adani wind-project withdrawal

Adani Green withdrew from its Sri Lankan wind-power project after tariff and review disputes with the new government.

Electricity tariffs rise 18% in 2026

PUCSL announced an 18% tariff increase for the second and third quarters of 2026 amid energy-cost and supply pressures.

PTA repeal delayed / replacement controversy

The NPP promised repeal of the PTA, but it remained in use for much of the period while replacement legislation was prepared.

AKD local-election speeches draw complaints

CMEV filed multiple complaints alleging AKD's rally remarks about easier funding for NPP-controlled local bodies breached election law.

An allegation, arrest or indictment is not treated as guilt. This record documents that the allegation exists and how it was handled, not that it is true.

Custodial and police-confrontation deaths become a rights issue

Human-rights groups, lawyers and media increasingly treated deaths in custody and police 'confrontations' as a systemic rule-of-law issue rather than isolated cases.