The Harideshaya.lk news website has sent a Letter of Demand to Commercial Bank of Ceylon seeking Rs. 100 million in compensation over a post published on the bank’s official Facebook page, which it alleges damaged the reputation of its news reporting.In addition to the compensation claim of Rs. 100 million, the letter also calls on the bank to issue a public apology through its official social media platforms.The dispute arose after Commercial Bank published a post through its official Facebook accounts claiming that a news report published by Harideshaya.lk was “completely false”.

Harideshaya states that the bank had defamed its website by describing the report as false without specifying which facts in the article were being disputed or presenting any evidence to substantiate its claim.

The Harideshaya editorial team, which has initiated legal action against Commercial Bank over the matter, has demanded that the alleged false statement be withdrawn and compensation paid for the damage caused.The website further emphasized that its reporting has always been accurate and carried out in the public interest.Within a short span of six months, Harideshaya claims to have gained significant public attention and trust through its reporting of several controversial stories.

“We will not abandon this fight until the stain on our name is removed. For the past six months, we have stood for the truth. This is a fight for the justice that we collectively believe in,” Harideshaya editor Muaz Mohamed told Sri Lanka Mirror.