Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has voiced his concerns regarding the recent arrest of former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Tharoor described the charges against Wickremesinghe as "trivial" and cautioned against "vendetta politics". He urged the Sri Lankan government to treat their former president with the respect and dignity he deserves after decades of service to the nation.

Wickremesinghe, 76, was arrested on Friday, August 22, 2025, on allegations of misusing state funds. The arrest is linked to accusations that he used public money to cover expenses for a private trip to London in September 2023, ostensibly to attend his wife's graduation ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton, where she received an honorary professorship. Wickremesinghe's office had previously denied these allegations, maintaining that his wife's travel expenses were personally met and no state funds were used.

Tharoor expressed his concerns on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Concerned about the detention of former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on what, on the face of it, seem trivial charges. His health issues have already seen him taken to the prison hospital". He further added, "I call on the government of Sri Lanka — while fully respecting that this is their internal matter — to abjure the politics of vengeance and treat their former President with the respect and dignity that he deserves, after his decades of service to the nation".

Adding to the gravity of the situation, Wickremesinghe was admitted to Colombo National Hospital on Saturday, August 23, 2025, a day after his arrest, due to severe dehydration, high blood pressure, and his existing diabetic condition. He was reportedly in stable condition after being admitted.

The arrest of Wickremesinghe comes as part of a broader anti-corruption crackdown led by the current President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who assumed office in September 2024. Dissanayake's government has promised to punish those accused of corruption under previous administrations. Wickremesinghe is the first former Sri Lankan head of state to be arrested.

S. Venkat Narayan, a senior Sri Lankan journalist, also criticized the arrest, calling it "ridiculous". He suggested that India could offer medical assistance to the former president if needed.

Wickremesinghe served as president from July 2022, after Gotabaya Rajapaksa stepped down amidst widespread protests over corruption and economic mismanagement, until he lost the presidential election in September 2024 to Dissanayake. During his tenure, Wickremesinghe secured a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in early 2023 and is credited with stabilizing the economy following Sri Lanka's worst-ever financial meltdown in 2022.

Wickremesinghe is currently held in custody until August 26, 2025, when a fresh hearing is scheduled. The offenses he is accused of carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in jail and an estimated fine of 16.6 million rupees (£41,000).