Fonseka was arrested along with his media secretary Senaka de Silva from his office in Colombo.

Defence Spokesman Maj Gen Prasad Samarasinghe, who assumed charge on Monday, said the Army had taken Fonseka into custody and will court martial him for “military offences committed during his service”.

Director General of the Media Centre for National Security Lakshman Hullugala told state television that Fonseka, a retired General who served the Army for nearly four decades, will be court martialled.

Military police surrounded Fonseka’s office and arrested him and his aide. Another Fonseka aide said that “Fonseka and de Silva were told in clear terms to cooperate with the military police”. “I heared one of the officers telling Fonseka that he is being charged with criminal conspiracy.”

Opposition leaders said the Army men “forcibly took away General Fonseka while he was having a discussion with three other senior Opposition leaders”. Fonseka’s office was cordoned off by heavily armed troops who blocked reporters and photographers from entering the building.

Govt had denied report in Sunday Times

The arrest comes in the wake of reports that Fonseka could face a military court on charges of conspiring to overthrow the government and plotting to kill Rajapaksa.

The Sunday Times had said that the Rajapaksa-led government, which alleged soon after the presidential poll verdict that the former military chief had plotted to kill the President, has consulted its top legal counsel on trying Fonseka in a court martial.

Earlier in the day, the military had denied the newspaper report that Fonseka would be tried in a military court. Military spokesperson Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said there were no plans by the military to arrest the former Army Chief

Strangely, even Fonseka’s lawyer Shirlal Laktilaka had said that he was unaware of the reported plan. He had also said that Fonseka cannot be summoned before a military court as he is not a serving officer.

‘Political war akin to war with Tigers’

The arrest also came hours after Fonseka assured the family members of the former Army personnel, who were either sacked or arrested by the government, that he will stand behind them during troubled times.

Fonseka, who has been accused of planning a coup, had hit back likening the “political battle” he is facing to military campaign he ran against the Tamil Tigers.