Sri Lankan Minister Arjuna Ranatunga arrested after his guards opened fire on protestors

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga was on Monday arrested after his guards opened fire on protestors on Sunday. One person was killed in the firing 

"Colombo Crime division arrested Ranatunga over the shooting incident and he will be produced in court shortly," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.

After President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday declared that the Cabinet had been dissolved with the appointment of new PM Mahinda Rajapaksa a day earlier, members of trade unions linked to the new PM had blocked ministers from the old cabinet from entering their ministries. When Ranatunga tried to enter his office, his security guard opened fire in which one person was killed and two were injured. 

Sri Lanka has been plunged into crisis since Friday, when President Maithripala Sirisena abruptly sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and swore in ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new prime minister to replace him. Sirisena said the move was motivated by a plot to kill him, and by economic collapse. Wickremesinghe says it was illegal and he is still prime minister.

Meanwhile, Rajapaksa assumed charge as Sri Lanka's new PM on Monday. He assumed the duties in the prime minister's secretariat which was not used by the ousted prime minister Wickremesinghe, officials from his Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP) said.