Former Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunga's daughter, Ahimsa Wickrematunga, has filed a lawsuit in the US against former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunga. 

The lawsuit coincides with Rajapaksa's attempt to renounce his US citizenship to run for the Presidential election in 2020. 

It is not immediately clear as to how the fresh case against the former Defence Secretary will affect his attempt to renounce US citizenship before the next Presidential election. 

The former Defence Secretary, however, is currently in the US for a "family event", sources close to him said. 

Writing an open letter last year, Wickrematunga's daughter held the former Defence Secretary responsible for the murder of her father in January 2009. 

In response to Ahimsa's accusations, Rajapaksa said two individuals were behind the assassination of Wickrematunge, the assault on journalist Keith Noyahr and the disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda.