S. M. Ranjith (Samarakoon Mudiyanselage Ranjith / "S. M. Ranjith Samarakoon")
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)
2
Legal matters
0
Investigations
1
Charges pending
0
Acquitted / dismissed
1 matter convicted or under appeal — see the Cases tab for the breakdown.
Next in court
Not publicly confirmed
Latest change
No recent Nadu Update
S. M. Ranjith (Samarakoon Mudiyanselage Ranjith / "S. M. Ranjith Samarakoon") is currently serving a prison sentence.
A separate/fresh corruption prosecution reported in 2026 concerning fuel obtained while he was Chief Minister of the North Central Province, allegedly in addition to salary/fuel allowances, causing a loss to the State. Earlier reporting connected the prosecution to fuel expenditure of approximately Rs. 5.38 million.
The full running account, event by event, is in the Timeline and Court Cases tabs below.
S. M. Ranjith (Samarakoon Mudiyanselage Ranjith / "S. M. Ranjith Samarakoon") legal timeline
Next Step Pending
Not yet scheduled (2 Apr 2026 date: outcome not reported)
Court: Colombo High Court
- 31 July 2025North Central Province fuel allocation c…
Hearing
On 31 July 2025 S. M. Ranjith and his former private secretary Shanthini Chandrasena, both serving 16-year sentences, applied to the Colombo High Court for bail pending their appeal to the Court of Appeal. Their counsel argued that bail should be granted until the appeal is finally decided. Judge Sahan Mapa Bandara set the matter for further hearing on 25 August 2025.
Court: Colombo High Court
- 3 April 2025North Central Province fuel allocation c…
Appeal Filed
Appeal filed 3 Apr 2025 (Court of Appeal) seeking acquittal.
Court: Colombo High Court (trial); Court of Appeal (appeal)
- 2 April 2025North Central Province fuel allocation c…
Convicted
The Colombo High Court (Judge Aditya Patabendi) convicted S. M. Ranjith, a former North Central Province Chief Minister, in a Bribery Commission case alleging he used undue influence to help his private secretary obtain fuel worth about Rs. 2.68 million for her official vehicle although her salary already included a fuel allowance. He was sentenced to 16 years' rigorous imprisonment and a Rs. 200,000 fine, as was his co-accused.
Court: Colombo High Court (trial); Court of Appeal (appeal)
S. M. Ranjith (Samarakoon Mudiyanselage Ranjith / "S. M. Ranjith Samarakoon") court cases
2
Cases Total
1
Charges Pending
1
Under Appeal
North Central Province fuel allocation corruption case
Eight counts under Section 70 of the Bribery Act, plus (per one source only) counts under Penal Code Sections 113 and 102 - unlawfully causing state loss by arranging fuel allocations (valued variously at over Rs. 2.68 million or Rs. 5,379,623) for a co-accused's official vehicle despite her fuel allowance already being included in her salary
What’s happened
Appeal filed 3 Apr 2025 (Court of Appeal) seeking acquittal; bail-pending-appeal petition filed 31 Jul 2025, hearing set 25 Aug 2025, outcome not found
- Court
- Colombo High Court (trial); Court of Appeal (appeal)
- Sentence
- 16 years rigorous imprisonment + Rs. 200,000 (reported variously as a fine or as restitution)
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
Separate North Central Province fuel corruption case
A separate/fresh corruption prosecution reported in 2026 concerning fuel obtained while he was Chief Minister of the North Central Province, allegedly in addition to salary/fuel allowances, causing a loss to the State. Earlier reporting connected the prosecution to fuel expenditure of approximately Rs. 5.38 million.
What’s happened
Daily Mirror and NewsFirst reported in February 2026 that this was another/fresh bribery case and that it was fixed for 2 April 2026. No reliable public report of the 2 April outcome was located in this research pass.
- Court
- Colombo High Court
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
S. M. Ranjith (Samarakoon Mudiyanselage Ranjith / "S. M. Ranjith Samarakoon") in the news
In the news
Stories in the news feed that name S. M. Ranjith (Samarakoon Mudiyanselage Ranjith / "S. M. Ranjith Samarakoon"), with every outlet’s report of each grouped together. These are other outlets’ reports; what they say is not Nadu’s verified record.
No stories naming S. M. Ranjith (Samarakoon Mudiyanselage Ranjith / "S. M. Ranjith Samarakoon") in the news right now. New reports appear here as outlets publish them.
S. M. Ranjith (Samarakoon Mudiyanselage Ranjith / "S. M. Ranjith Samarakoon") political career
Ministerial positions
No ministerial positions publicly confirmed.
Other political positions
Chief Minister, North Central Provincial Council
2012–2015
S. M. Ranjith (Samarakoon Mudiyanselage Ranjith / "S. M. Ranjith Samarakoon") party history
Provincial political career is associated with the SLFP/UPFA camp, but exact formal membership start and end dates were not established. The 2012 Chief Minister start is evidence of political context, not a joining date.