Oct 16 2025 October 16, 2025 October 16, 2025 NoComment

Sri Lanka Police to detain Ishara Sewwandi over Ganemulla Sanjeewa murder

Posted by Editor on October 16, 2025 - 8:00 am

Ishara Sewwandi brought back to Sri Lanka from Nepal

Colombo Crime Division (CCD) officials have confirmed that steps are being taken to obtain detention orders for Ishara Sewwandi, the main suspect in the murder of underworld figure Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne, also known as “Ganemulla Sanjeewa,” along with four others who were arrested in Nepal.

Sri Lanka Police stated that the identity of Ishara Sewwandi was confirmed through facial recognition technology, which produced a 100 percent match, strengthening the case against her.

The five suspects, including another woman, arrived in Sri Lanka on the evening of October 15, 2025. The aircraft carrying them landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) at 6:54 p.m. They were immediately taken into police custody and handed over to the relevant crime divisions for further interrogation.

According to police sources, the prime suspect, 25-year-old Pinpura Devage Ishara Sewwandi, was arrested in Nepal on October 14, 2025 during a joint operation carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Nepalese security forces. She had been hiding in a house about 18 kilometers from Kathmandu at the time of her arrest.

Investigations have revealed that Ishara Sewwandi allegedly provided the firearm used in the killing of “Ganemulla Sanjeewa.” She reportedly fled Sri Lanka shortly after the shooting and was later traced to Nepal following an extensive international investigation.

Four other individuals were arrested along with Sewwandi, including one woman and a man identified as a close associate of “Kehelbaddara Padme,” an organized crime leader currently in police custody. Among the suspects are individuals known to the police as J.K. Bai, Suresh, and Takshi, who have been linked to several organized criminal gangs.

Following their return to the country, Ishara Sewwandi, J.K. Bai, Suresh, and Takshi were handed over to the Colombo Crime Division, while another suspect, identified as “Jambugasmulle Babi,” was transferred to the Western Province (South) Crime Division for further investigations. Another individual, known as “Gampaha Baba,” was placed under the custody of the Peliyagoda Division.

The special operation to bring the suspects back to Sri Lanka was led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rohan Olugala and CID Inspector Gihan Chandima, in coordination with Nepalese security authorities.

The arrests mark a major breakthrough in the months-long investigation into the assassination of “Ganemulla Sanjeewa,” a member of an organized crime group who was shot dead in broad daylight on February 19, 2025, at Court No. 05 of the Colombo Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court Complex.

Police believe the murder was carried out by a group linked to “Kehelbaddara Padme,” another underworld figure currently in custody.

Authorities say several more individuals have been brought in for questioning as the investigation continues into one of the most shocking underworld killings in recent years.

Police emphasized that further arrests are likely as evidence is analyzed and connections to other criminal networks are uncovered.

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