Sri Lankan migrant who sued taxpayer for £7m saying he needed round-the-clock care after suffering in detention centre - but he'd been seen go-karting, hitting the gym and doing the school run

A Sri Lankan migrant who sued the taxpayer for £7million claiming he needed round-the-clock care has been seen go-karting, going to the gym and doing the school run, a High Court judge has said. Vengadeswara Raw Gopalakrishnan has been found to have 'deliberately fabricated' claims that he was housebound after he suffered 'serious and long-term psychiatric injury' while detained in a detention centre between September 2013 and February 2014. He had come to the UK in 2010 before overstaying his visa and unsuccessfully claiming asylum. Gopalakrishnan was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2023. The migrant later sued the Home Office for more than £7million. However, the Home Office gathered evidence earlier this year that demonstrated Gopalakrishnan 'does not now suffer from a serious mental health condition, and likely never did'.To prove the injuries were a hoax, Gopalakrishnan was filmed driving a car and exercising at a gym for an hour. Gopalakrishnan also claimed he did not have the mental capacity to conduct the claim, and was helped by a woman named Reena Mathew, who was said to have voluntarily cared for him.But evidence also showed that Gopalakrishnan and Ms Mathew had been in a relationship for more than 10 years, and had three children together, and Mr Justice Mansfield found that the two had 'acted together' in the false damages claim. The Home Office gathered evidence earlier this year that demonstrated Vengadeswara Raw Gopalakrishnan 'does not now suffer from a serious mental health condition, and likely never did'The judge said the waste of public resources and court time in dealing with the claim over 12 years was 'scandalous', and ordered Gopalakrishnan to pay all of the Home Office's costs of defending the legal action.He said: 'The claimant has deliberately fabricated or grossly exaggerated his symptoms, in collaboration with Ms Mathew, for the purposes of pursuing a claim for damages put at over £7 million.'The sums claimed were based on a fabrication and were without basis.He continued: 'The story of the complete destruction of the claimant's life as an independent adult would be tragic, and the story of Ms Mathew's devoted care for him would be inspiring, if any of it were true.'Mr Justice Mansfield said Gopalakrishnan came to the UK in 2010, but overstayed after the expiry of his student visa in 2012 and unsuccessfully claimed asylum the following year.He was released from immigration detention on health grounds and granted indefinite leave to remain in 2023.But he then sued over injuries allegedly suffered while detained, falsely claiming that he had a severe depressive illness with psychotic symptoms until 2023 and continued to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.This allegedly left him unable to care for himself, study or work and in need of round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.Ms Mathew acted as his 'litigation friend' in the claim, someone who makes decisions about court cases on behalf of those who do not have the mental capacity to manage the case themselves.In April, she told the court that Gopalakrishnan's condition had only improved 'ever so slightly' and that he 'requires a lot of day-to-day support'.She also said that he was 'unable to prepare his own meals, leave the house alone, attend appointments, manage his finances or arrange any key aspects of his life such as housing, medical care and benefits'.But the judge said that between May and June this year, the Home Office asked 'inquiry agents' to observe and film Gopalakrishnan in public.They spotted him taking his children to school and visiting restaurants, and found online that he had also taken part in a go-karting competition.Home Office records also showed he worked as a delivery driver.Mr Justice Mansfield said that after the department shared the recordings, Gopalakrishnan could offer 'no explanation for the inconsistencies'.The judge said Gopalakrishnan 'knowingly participated' in giving false accounts and 'feigned behaviour' to 'obtain money from the Home Office', and that he and Ms Mathew 'deliberately exaggerated' his symptoms.He said: 'It is clear to me that the claimant's exaggeration of his symptoms has been deliberate, calculated and for the purposes of gain from these proceedings.'By the standards of ordinary decent people, the claimant's conduct in bringing and pursuing a claim for damages based on fabricated or exaggerated symptoms was dishonest.'