Colombo: Ishara Sewwandi, a key suspect in the murder of underworld figure Ganemulla Sanjeewa, has made startling revelations following her arrest and repatriation from Nepal after months on the run.
Investigations have revealed that Sewwandi fled Sri Lanka during the height of the local government elections, exploiting a period when police resources were heavily engaged in election duties. She had initially gone into hiding in several parts of the island, including Mathugama, Matara, and Vavuniya, before being smuggled out of the country.
According to investigators, she was taken by boat from Jaffna to India under the direction of K. Sivadasan, alias J.K. Bai, a trafficker with links to the narcotics trade. It has been further revealed that underworld leader Kehelbaddara Padme financed her escape by giving J.K. Bai narcotics valued at around Rs. 10 million, which were used as payment for the operation to smuggle Sewwandi out of Sri Lanka.
After spending nearly a month in India posing as an Indian national, Sewwandi was transported by an Indian human trafficker to Nepal through a combination of trains, buses, and taxis over a six-to-seven-day journey. Once across the border, she was received by another broker and settled in Nepal, where all her living expenses were reportedly covered by J.K. Bai, who was based in Dubai at the time. It is said that he visited her occasionally to ensure her well-being.
While living in Nepal, Sewwandi said she became increasingly preoccupied with her appearance. Spending most of her time in beauty salons, she began to earn Money and pass time by engaging in beauty-related work. She admitted to becoming “addicted” to beauty treatments after noticing visible improvements in her appearance, saying her looks had changed beyond recognition over the months.
During interrogation, she told investigating officers that she had met Gampaha Baba, J.K. Bai, and Jambugasmulla Babi in Kathmandu, and further stated that she had travelled there with Suresh Takshi from Jaffna.
Sewwandi was eventually arrested in Bhaktapur last September during the youth uprising in Nepal. She told investigators that there had been no major protests or violence in the area where she was staying and that she had managed to live there without much difficulty. Police later confirmed that she had stayed at several locations across Nepal before her capture.
During questioning in Sri Lanka, Sewwandi made a chilling confession regarding her role in the murder of Ganemulla Sanjeewa. She revealed that on February 19, she had gone to the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court at the request of Kehelbaddara Padme. Although she initially claimed she was unaware that a shooting was planned, she admitted to accompanying the gunman disguised as a lawyer.
According to her statement, she carried a copy of the Penal Code in which a firearm had been concealed. As Ganemulla Sanjeewa was being escorted to Court No. 05 under Special Task Force security, Sewwandi handed the weapon to the shooter. Moments later, gunfire erupted inside the courtroom. In the chaos that followed, she fled the premises, forgetting the book that had concealed the weapon.
She later told investigators that she had never believed she would be caught. According to her confession, J.K. Bai had promised to move her from Nepal to Mauritius, and arrangements for forged passports were already in progress when she was arrested following a six-week-long international police operation.
The complex operation was coordinated by Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) and Attorney-at-Law Asanka Karawita, with Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rohan Olugala of the Western Province Northern Crime Division and Police Inspector Gihan de Silva of the Criminal Investigation Department leading the overseas mission.
The officers left for Nepal on October 11 and returned to Sri Lanka on October 15 with Sewwandi and five others. Among the arrested were 23-year-old Nanda Kumara Takshi of Chavakachcheriya, Jaffna; 36-year-old B.P. Kennedy alias Suresh, a close associate of Sewwandi; and 33-year-old K. Sivadasan alias J.K. Bai, the trafficker who organized her escape.
All suspects were handed over to the Colombo District Crime Division for further investigation. Police have also launched a detailed probe into the criminal background of Kehelbaddara Padme, who is believed to have masterminded both the assassination and the subsequent escape plan.
