Ishara Sewwandi, who was arrested in Nepal and brought back to Sri Lanka, has been granted permission to be detained for 90 days for further questioning. The Ministry of Defence has approved the request made by the police, citing the complexity and seriousness of the ongoing investigations.
Meanwhile, the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) has recovered a mobile phone used by Ishara Sewwandi, which had been buried in the Gampaha area. The discovery was made based on information revealed during her interrogation.
Officers of the Colombo District Criminal Investigation Bureau took Ishara Sewwandi to several locations today (18) for further questioning related to the murder of underworld figure Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne, alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa, who was shot dead at the Aluthkade Court Complex on February 19, 2025.
During investigations, police uncovered crucial information from the owner of a house in Welipanne, where Ishara had been sheltered after the murder. The 52-year-old woman, a nurse attached to the Mathugama Hospital, is said to have known Mathugama Shan for some time. On the day of Ganemulla Sanjeewa’s killing, she reportedly went to the Aluthgama depot on a motorcycle, picked up Ishara Sewwandi following a phone call, and took her to her residence in Welipanne. The next morning, Ishara was taken away on a motorcycle and moved from the location.
Police said the woman is being detained under a 72-hour detention order, while investigations continue.
It has also been revealed that a police constable, who is the woman’s nephew and lived in the same house, had full knowledge of Ishara’s presence but failed to inform any law enforcement authorities. He has since been arrested for concealing information and providing shelter to a murder suspect.
Further questioning has revealed that Gampaha Baba, currently under interrogation at the Kelaniya Divisional Criminal Investigation Bureau, had identified Kehelbaddara Padme through her father. He has reportedly admitted to being part of Padme’s drug network, shedding new light on the broader criminal connections surrounding the case.
