A Sri Lankan Tamil man has been ordered to pay the UK Home Office’s legal costs after a judge dismissed his £7 million compensation claim, finding that it was based on false allegations.
Venkateshwarar Gopalakrishnan had claimed that he suffered serious injuries while held at an immigration detention centre, leaving him in need of ongoing care. He also said psychological harm sustained during detention between 2013 and 2014 prevented him from working or leaving home alone.
The Home Office presented video evidence showing him driving, exercising at a gym, taking part in go-kart racing, eating at restaurants, taking his children to school and working as a delivery driver. Judge Mansfield rejected his claims, saying the evidence showed that he did not have—and had never had—the serious psychological condition he alleged.
The court also heard that Reena Mathew, presented as a volunteer supporting Gopalakrishnan, had in fact been his partner for more than 10 years. They have three children. The judge concluded that the pair had jointly planned the fraudulent compensation claim.
Criticising the case for wasting court time and public money over 12 years, the judge ordered Gopalakrishnan to cover the Home Office’s legal costs.
Gopalakrishnan entered the UK in 2010 and remained after his visa expired in 2012. He was later released on medical grounds and granted permission to stay in 2023, after which he filed the compensation claim.
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