By Colombo Police, Top Officials and Defense Ministry Scramble for Answers as Investigation Intensifies into Aluthkade Court Killing
In the aftermath of the shocking killing of the alleged organized criminal and drug trafficker “Ganemulla Sanjeewa” inside the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court, Colombo’s top police officials and defense ministry leaders have spent countless hours overseeing investigations into the brazen assassination. Teams conducting ground investigations are piecing together an intricate puzzle, with several disturbing revelations emerging about the preparation and execution of the crime.
The Plot Unfolds: Dry Run Before the Murder
According to investigators, the man and woman responsible for the killing had meticulously planned their attack, including conducting a “dry run” inside the Aluthkade Court complex just days before the shooting. The dry run was intended to assess the court’s layout, entry and exit points, and the level of security. This meticulous planning laid the groundwork for a well-coordinated assassination, which was executed by a shooter identified as Samindu Dilshan Piyumanga Kandanaarachchi (27).
A Bloody Day: Shooter Disguised as a Lawyer
On Wednesday, the unthinkable happened. The gunman, disguised as a lawyer, entered the courtroom where Sanjeewa had been brought under heavy guard from Boossa high-security prison. Armed with a revolver concealed inside a hollowed-out copy of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Kandanaarachchi opened fire on Sanjeewa multiple times, killing him in front of stunned witnesses. As chaos erupted, the shooter dropped the weapon, fled the courtroom, and managed to escape through the court’s main gate, blending in with the confusion. He was soon joined by his female accomplice, identified as Ishara Sewwandi (25), who had handed him the concealed weapon. What is not clear is that why the shooter could not have been stopped before getting out of the court premises . Was the shooter and the women helped by security personal out side or was their response not quick enough?
Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera, Executive Director of the Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP), raised concerns over the failure to immediately shut the gate and secure the court’s entrance. He also pointed out the lack of a scanner at the court complex, which could have detected the weapon hidden inside the book.
The Hunt Begins: Arrest of the Shooter and Key Breakthroughs
In a major breakthrough, the State Intelligence Service (SIS) received a tip-off that helped them track the shooter’s mobile phone. Authorities quickly identified his location and set up roadblocks. Just hours after the shooting, a van carrying Kandanaarachchi was stopped at a roadblock in Puttalam, en route to Kalpitiya, allegedly to flee the country by boat to India. The suspect was arrested with a foreign-manufactured hand grenade in his possession and a fake lawyer’s identity card.
During questioning, Kandanaarachchi revealed that he had been promised Rs. 15 million for carrying out the murder but had only received Rs. 200,000 upfront. He confessed that communication with his handlers had been through WhatsApp, including a final call shortly before the murder. During this call, the shooter was informed that the operation should proceed despite heightened security at the court.
Failed Escape Plan: Fleeing the Scene
After the shooting, the shooter discovered that the getaway vehicle meant to pick him up had failed to arrive. In a last-ditch effort to escape, he hailed a taxi and later purchased new clothes at a store in Nugegoda, before continuing his escape with Sewwandi. The couple’s movements in the days leading up to the crime were traced to several hotels, including one in Kaduwela, where they met with another individual who allegedly handed over the revolver used in the killing.The investigations are in the process of finding out if the shooter Samindu Dilshan Piyumanga Kandanaarachchi and the women were left alone once the job was done or were there a mess -up in the get away plan.
Authorities had a major breakthrough when the State Intelligence Service (SIS) received a tip-off nd accordingly they found obtain the mobile number of Samindu and tracked him. There is speculation that this tip off may be betrayal.The tracking details reveeled that he was travelling towards Kalpitiya.
Acording to what is known geting to indiawas his plan and investigtions are been carried out in the Kalpitiya ara to findout if there was ny one contracted in the area to take him across to India by Boat.
Who Is Samindu Dilshan? A Deadly Past Revealed
Further investigations revealed that Kandanaarachchi, known as “Commando Samindu,” had a history of violence. He had previously been involved in multiple fatal shootings, including the shooting of two individuals in Mount Lavinia earlier this year. A former member of the Sri Lanka Army’s Commando Regiment, he had deserted the army but later obtained a legal discharge during a general amnesty. It is still not clear how Kandanaarachchi, evaded arrest be for ethis killings.
As the Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya said the Police was aware that there was death threat on Ganemulle Sannjeewa and acording to information recived hewa not prsented in courts on a previous occasion. Weerasooriya said that now the police is investigateing if ther was a real need to produceim in cous in person on the day at Aluthkade the day he wqqas shot.
Additional Arrests: Connections to the Crime Network
The investigation continued to unfold as police made additional arrests. A police constable, Lahiru Prasanna Ethugala, from the Negombo Police, was arrested for his alleged involvement with Sewwandi. Investigators found that he had been in contact with her before and after the courthouse shooting. The investigation also led to the arrest of several others, including the driver who transported the shooter, Janaka Udaya Kumara, and a second police constable, S.A. Hasitha Roshan, who was in possession of the getaway van used by the shooter.The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) has found out that Sewandi and Samindu had spent time togather before the murder in Negombo and Kaduwela hotels .THe police is investigating about a man who came in a Honda Fit vehicle and handed over a parcel to Samindu .It is suspected that the murder weapon and the lawyers clock was in the that parcel.
Police arrested Janaka Udaya Kumara (43), the driver who transported the shooter and provided the murder weapon, along with a second police constable, S.A. Hasitha Roshan (37), who was found in possession of the van with fake number plates used by the shooter to flee, bringing the total number of arrests in connection to the shooting to five.
Ongoing Investigations: The Prisons Department Takes Action
In parallel with the police investigation, the Department of Prisons has launched an internal inquiry into the incident. Investigators have already visited the court and hospital where the deceased was taken after being shot, and statements from prison officers present at the time have been collected. The Prisons Commissioner has assured that a report will be submitted once the inquiry is completed.
Unanswered Questions and Calls for Security Reform
While the investigation has made significant progress, several unanswered questions remain about the security lapses that allowed the shooter and his accomplice to carry out their deadly plot. With the case still under investigation, authorities face increasing pressure to strengthen court security and prevent such breaches in the future.
