Sri Lankan migrant who sued Home Office for £7m over fake injury caught go-karting
Footage submitted to the court showed the man taking part in a go-karting competition and hitting the gym - while suing the Home Office £7m for fake injuries
The Home Office provided evidence earlier this year showing that Mr Gopalakrishnan “does not now suffer from a serious mental health condition, and likely never did”.
A Sri Lankan migrant who sued the Home Office for £7million over injuries suffered in a detention centre was filmed go-karting and working out at the gym, a court has heard.
Vengadeswara Raw Gopalakrishnan "deliberately fabricated" claims that he suffered from depression, psychosis and PTSD which left him unable to work or leave the house, a High Court judge said on Friday.
The judge said the waste of public resources and court time in dealing with the claim over 12 years was “scandalous”, and ordered Mr Gopalakrishnan to pay all of the Home Office’s costs of defending the legal action.
------ Post added on Nov 10, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Gopalakrishnan came to the UK in 2010 but overstayed his student visa. He unsuccessfully claimed asylum in 2013 and was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2023.
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He later sued for more than £7m over injuries allegedly suffered while detained from September 2013 to February 2014.
He claimed to have suffered from a severe depressive illness with psychotic symptoms until 2023 and continued to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Home Office provided evidence earlier this year showing that Mr Gopalakrishnan “does not now suffer from a serious mental health condition, and likely never did”.
This included footage of Mr Gopalakrishnan driving a car and exercising at a gym for an hour, Mr Justice Mansfield said.
------ Post added on Nov 10, 2026 at 1:31 AM
Footage submitted to the court showed the man taking part in a go-karting competition and hitting the gym - while suing the Home Office £7m for fake injuries
A Sri Lankan migrant who sued the Home Office for £7million over injuries suffered in a detention centre was filmed go-karting and working out at the gym, a court has heard.
Vengadeswara Raw Gopalakrishnan "deliberately fabricated" claims that he suffered from depression, psychosis and PTSD which left him unable to work or leave the house, a High Court judge said on Friday.
The judge said the waste of public resources and court time in dealing with the claim over 12 years was “scandalous”, and ordered Mr Gopalakrishnan to pay all of the Home Office’s costs of defending the legal action.
------ Post added on Nov 10, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Gopalakrishnan came to the UK in 2010 but overstayed his student visa. He unsuccessfully claimed asylum in 2013 and was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2023.
------ Post added on
He later sued for more than £7m over injuries allegedly suffered while detained from September 2013 to February 2014.
He claimed to have suffered from a severe depressive illness with psychotic symptoms until 2023 and continued to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Home Office provided evidence earlier this year showing that Mr Gopalakrishnan “does not now suffer from a serious mental health condition, and likely never did”.
This included footage of Mr Gopalakrishnan driving a car and exercising at a gym for an hour, Mr Justice Mansfield said.
------ Post added on Nov 10, 2026 at 1:31 AM
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