Sarath Fonseka, former commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), who was opposition candidate in the just concluded presidential election, has been arrested tonight (Monday), according to initial reports received from different sources.

Quoting Rauff Hakeem, the leader of the Muslim Congress, who was with Fonseka at the time of arrest, Reuters reports that Sri Lankan military personnel ragged away Fonseka in a very disgraceful manner.

Speculation was rife for last several days that Fonseka would be arrested. The arrest comes after he declared that he was prepared to witness against anyone who had committed war crimes.

Gen Fonseka, who was defeated by incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa last month by six million votes to four million, rejected the results and vowed to challenge them in court.

The government also accused him of conspiring to overthrow the government and to assassinate the President.

Sarath Fonseka has also challenged the Rajapaksa government to arrest him if he had attempted to stage a military coup as claimed by the government.

A process is underway to try Fonseka in a military court.

Gen Fonseka was chief of Sri Lanka's army when it defeated the Tamil Tigers but he fell out with President Rajapaksa soon after and the pair fought a bitter election campaign.

-Eelam Nation-