October 16, Colombo (LNW): A key female suspect linked to the assassination of notorious underworld figure Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne, better known by his alias ‘Ganemulla Sanjeewa’, has been brought back to Sri Lanka following her arrest in Nepal earlier this week.
Latest developments on the story suggest that the suspect, 25-year-old Pingpura Dewage Ishara Sewwandi, arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport last evening at approximately 6.54 p.m., accompanied by five others, has been handed over to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD).
All six individuals were apprehended in Nepal on October 14 during a joint operation conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Nepal Police. Among those arrested is reportedly a close associate of ‘Kehelbaddara Padme’, an underworld figure currently in Sri Lankan police custody.
Two specially assigned officers from the Special Task Force had travelled to Nepal in recent days to assist the CID in overseeing the transfer of the suspects back to Sri Lanka. Upon their return, the group was immediately taken into the custody of the Colombo Crimes Division for further questioning and legal proceedings.
The murder in question occurred on February 19, 2025 inside courtroom No. 05 of the Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court complex, where ‘Ganemulla Sanjeewa’ was shot dead in a brazen attack that stunned the legal community and public alike. Investigators believe Ishara Sewwandi played a supporting role in the killing, allegedly aiding the gunman who carried out the fatal shooting.
Following the attack, Sewwandi managed to evade capture and remained a fugitive for nearly eight months. Authorities had struggled to track her movements until a breakthrough came last month, when interrogations of several high-profile detainees—including ‘Kehelbaddara Padme’ and others arrested in Jakarta—revealed that she had escaped the country shortly after the shooting.
Law enforcement officials have described her arrest and extradition as a major development in the case, which has shed light on deeper networks within Sri Lanka’s criminal underworld. The suspects are now expected to face extensive interrogation, with further arrests and legal action likely as investigations unfold.
