Columns

• The dramatic killing of Ganemulla Sanjeewa inside a magistrate’s court bares police shortcomings in addressing security concerns amid soaring gun violence
• Govt.’s well-meaning measures stymied or cancelled by bungling in appointments to police top posts
• Serving and retired senior police officers call for a proactive approach rather than being reactive to revamp the force
• Questions arise over corrupt police officers hand in glove with criminals
• No action yet against ex-investigator who handled high-profile probes during Yahapalana Government and became an overnight multimillionaire

By Our Political Editor

He sat down in a chair facing desks meant for lawyers as Additional Magistrate Pavithra Sanjeevani Pathirana was holding court. Moments later, when the accused appeared in the wooden enclosure meant for them, he stood up, raised his hand and fired five rounds from a revolver. Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne, alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa, a suspect allegedly involved in violent and major crimes, was hit in the chest. The victim collapsed. The attacker threw the weapon on the floor. He walked out of the courts shouting, “Athuley vedi thiyanawa”  or they are shooting inside. The badly injured victim lay on the ground for a while as confusion reigned. Video footage of the resultant panic situation projected a voice asking, “…pana thiyanavada…” or is there life? It took some time for the police to load the victim onto an STF Defender jeep.

The revolver used had been concealed in a hollow dug into the pages of a copy of the thick Criminal Procedure Code. It had been smuggled into the courthouse by a woman accomplice, Devage Ishara Sevvandi, who was also said to have been dressed as a lawyer. She is from Negombo. A police constable from the Negombo Police has been arrested for helping her. The woman, now on the run, has been making phone calls to him. She had also been arrested earlier for a drug offence by the same police. The alleged assailant’s name was displayed on a purported Bar Association of Sri Lanka identity card. Yet this remained unknown for several hours.

As the victim was pronounced dead upon admission to the National Hospital, Police launched a manhunt. Currently, Puttalam and Mannar have become two of the observation points for fleeing criminals. These two northwestern coastal towns are notorious as launching pads for illegal boat travels to India across the Palk Strait. Ahead of the turnoff to Palavi Junction, where the road leads to the Kalpitiya seas, the STF set up a roadblock. Information came to them from the State Intelligence Service (SIS) about the alleged assailant’s movement in that direction.

The many identity cards used by the suspect

Soon, they came by a silver-coloured van. The man inside, wearing a white shirt and trousers, remained calm when questioned and claimed he was a lawyer. He gave his name Kodikarage Kasun Prabatha Nissanka. Bearing the BASL barcode, the purported  card gave A8856 as his membership number and the “SC enrolment number A13653.” It later transpired that his prearranged escape vehicle did not arrive. Therefore, he had hired a vehicle, dropped his clothes at Kochchikade, and travelled towards Negombo. The clothes were recovered.

Like how he calmly walked out after the shooting, the alleged assassin remained unruffled during questioning. From the fake identity card, the police knew he was their quarry. They arrested him and began questioning him. Later, the STF handed over the man to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) headquarters in Colombo. Under intense questioning, he allegedly owned up to five different murders. The contract fee for the latest killing, he had claimed, was Rs 15 million. He had reportedly received Rs 200,000 in advance. He has operated under different false identities, spending nights in a guest house in Kaduwela.

In a land where conspiracy theories are as common as the monsoon rains, there swirled a myriad of tales about how the fleeing suspect met his fate. One camp of whisperers claimed it was an “inside job,” a meticulously orchestrated betrayal from within. Another faction, equally fervent, suggested that the crime syndicate itself had cast the suspect to the wolves, tipping off the Police. Their reasoning? The syndicate had only paid a measly Rs 200,000—barely a king’s ransom. They saw no need to part with more gold once the deed was done. In their eyes, the bargain had been struck, and the curtain had fallen on this dark chapter. There were also others who theorized why the weapon was thrown on the floor after the shooting. It was the claim that it bore the fingerprints of someone else and not the alleged assailant.

The second false identity claimed by the alleged assailant came as he gave his name as Mohamed Asman Sherifdeen of Central Garden, Kuswala, Raddolugama. Shocking enough, such a name did exist in the Army records. It was for a Sherifdeen born on April 10, 1991. He had been enlisted in the Army Service Corps in 2011 and had deserted in 2014. This service arm mainly manages the supply chain of the Army. The brother of Sherifdeen has filed a motion in the Magistrate’s Court, Hulftsdorp, to clarify matters and to absolve his role from any murder.

The correct identity of the alleged assailant transpired when he was subject to intense questioning. He owned that he is Samidu Dilshan Piyumanga Kadanaarachchi with the address as 202/1A Dambahena Road, Maharagama. He possessed the National Identity Card No. 973562553v. His date of birth is given as December 22, 1997. He was enlisted in the Second Battalion of Army commandos in February 2020, deserted in June 2023, and was discharged in May 2024. Commandos trained by the Army are exceptionally battle-hardened soldiers. They are put through a rigorous training programme. Not all commando intakes survive, and there is a considerable dropout ratio because of the punishing training schedule.

Police shortcomings

The history-making murder scene is Hulftsdorp hill, known for its Dutch origins, which were seamlessly followed by the British. This area is the citadel or the nerve centre of Sri Lanka’s justice system. It houses all the pivotal courthouses, including the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court, and Magistrates Courts. The Attorney General’s office is also situated here. Penetrating security there showed serious drawbacks since there was an armed police presence in the premises.

The news of the shooting during a court session made headlines worldwide. This is the second incident in a magistrate court, the first being in January 2004 when Dhammika Amerasinghe, facing murder charges, was shot dead by an army deserter in a courtroom, horrifying judges, lawyers, and witnesses alike. One would have thought such incidents were a thing of the past. More so, since security precautions were strengthened as a result.

Policemen carry the wounded Ganemulla Sanjeewa to be moved to hospital. Pic by Hiran Priyankara

This week’s incident, which garnered international attention, did not convey that law and order in Sri Lanka is at its best. Just a week earlier, the country faced an electricity blackout that also made global news. This occurred after the Energy Minister, Engineer Kumara Jayakody, declared that a monkey was responsible. The incident had a vicarious sequel: a YouTube skit where a ‘spokesperson’ for a group of assembled monkeys stated they were not responsible. “It is a conspiracy to block us from leaving for China,” a quote attributed to one said. This was evidently alluding to media reports of plans to export monkeys in large numbers to China. On a more serious note, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) later clarified that the blackout was due to an overload of solar power generation. There was no word from the energy minister, appointed acknowledging the need for a technocrat in that office. He had entertained the world with his monkey tale.

Wednesday’s shooting incident opened a Pandora’s box. It is not just about murders that now occur almost every day; it has far-reaching connotations for every Sri Lankan. For many months now, several shortcomings in the Police have been resonating in the public domain. This is the result of a deteriorating law and order situation. Growing corruption has affected its efficiency. Personnel were in cahoots with drug dealers. The incident exposes many deficiencies that go beyond their role as the nation’s premier law enforcement agency.

Sections of influential but ill-informed in the NPP-JVP government claim that the growing number of murders, this time brazenly ignoring the magistrate’s court shooting, do not have an impact on national security. The most fundamental question is what national security threats after the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas are. To any student of security matters, it would be very clear that it is a fast-growing violent crime. That includes cybercrime. That is the number one threat unless ‘top-secret intelligence’ suggests there was anything else major in character. In the long years past, the Police countrywide had to cope with largely cases of housebreaking and theft. That again was with kris knives and alavangoes. Now the police stations have become mostly irrelevant to the people they serve. Patrols are not carried out. People go there for compelling reasons, mostly with an introduction from someone they consider influential.

If one closely examines the almost daily killings, it is well known that the underworld is using not only sophisticated techniques but also automatic weapons like pistols and T-56 assault rifles. They have been easily moved around, and no detections have come about. This is because there are no surprise road checks. Thus, underworld groups have become a law unto themselves in every police division. It is only after an incident that the police react. There is also another factor that has emerged now. For the past few years, these underworld groups have been directed and controlled by ‘leaders’ resident in Dubai.

That reflects the enormity of their operations, and the money involved, particularly since the trading of drugs has become a highly lucrative industry. They operate boats to smuggle in drugs. A few are caught by the Sri Lanka Navy. How many go undetected? That policemen at different levels and even those in the military at lower ranks have been hand in glove with them for the lure of money. Would not this growing trend affect national security? Has a factual study of these issues been made? Politicians should refrain from parroting what some ignorant officials say about national security because their thinking is confined only to a single incident. That they are unable to see a broad picture does not bode well.

Take, for example, the planning carried out by the crime syndicate. It was timed for a day on which there were elections to the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL). Lawyers were busy voting, thus temporarily reducing presence in courts. Besides the identities of the two that have transpired, there were undoubtedly many others coordinating the operation. During planning, they may have realised that the target was being escorted by 12 STF commandos all the way from Boossa, near Galle, to Colombo. Besides this, armed prison guards were also in the bus. Thus the attackers believed it was easier to infiltrate the courts. That, no doubt, entailed planning, which took days. The STF personnel are not allowed to carry weapons in court premises. There were accomplices feeding the attacker and his partner with real-time information. That is about a change in the court in which the case was being heard and related details. This sophistication by crime syndicates is noteworthy.

Their danger is exacerbated by the proliferation of automatic weapons. It came to light recently that between 2018 and 2019, at least 74 T-56 weapons had been lost from the Army’s Minneriya armoury. These were said to be weapons seized from Tiger guerrillas during military operations. However, their manufacturing numbers have been erased. This occurred during the previous governments and added to the weapons used by the underworld. Military sources  reveal that there was another smaller number of weapons which belonged to the Army that were also lost. The number is not clear.

The recent arrest of a suspect in Chennai, who was later repatriated to Colombo, investigators believe, would lead to unravelling whose hands the stolen weapons reached. Besides these, it is a known fact that fleeing cadres from different militant groups in the North and East, over a period, brought their weapons to Colombo and sold them to the underworld through a network that operated. Tired of the separatist war, this was a means of raising funds for their travel abroad to western countries to seek asylum. Unlike in some countries, no government in Sri Lanka has offered a buyback scheme of illegal weapons with no questions asked. A high price for such weapons could easily become part of a programme to disarm underworld groups. Police yesterday announced a reward of one million rupees for information leading to the recovery of weapons. Quite clearly, these weapons are not hoarded in one place. Different groups used them in different parts of the country. Thus the reward is not the result of a studied move.

Police seniors voice concern

I spoke to both senior officials serving in the Police as well as others who have retired. They not only underscored the dangers to national security but also warned against inaction over goings-on. A handful of the retirees have also become members of the collective of police retired officers, an arm of the NPP-JVP government. The biggest lament of those serving now is fears that the Police is deeply politicized. At least two of them spoke on grounds of anonymity because they could face reprisals if identified.

“We are no longer an independent, impartial entity. People who campaigned from political platforms for the ruling party have been placed in key positions amidst us. They promised the moon and heaven when they were inducted. The recent rise in murders is clear proof they have been unable to deliver to either halt them or fulfil the government’s pledges to round up the corrupt,” one of them lamented. He pointed out that people who have not even served as officers in charge of a police station are holding sway. They are clearly unable to discern what is going on. It would be too late to rectify when they are found out,” he declared. He cautioned that indiscipline was growing, and tougher measures were necessary from the police station level if they were to make the force more people-oriented.  At present, he warned, police stations have become a source of strength for big-time drug dealers and other lawbreakers because of the large volume of money involved. They must be cleaned up, he asserted.

Another serving senior officer also voiced fears that recent developments have sharply divided the Police into different groups. “It is imperative that leaders at the highest levels of the government take note of this disturbing turn. We must give up this reactive approach and take proactive measures to fight growing crime. That requires effective intelligence and trustworthy men and women to disseminate them. In this divisive environment, it is becoming increasingly difficult. Sections have been penalized for no fault of theirs. They have also become targets of campaigns by sections that promote one or two people. Whatever intelligence is gathered now is not matching ground realities and is cause for great worry. The underworld appears to be well ahead,” he warned.

It is clear even to the dimmest-witted that Wednesday’s shooting was not something that was carried out at the spur of the moment. For the alleged assailant to behave so calmly, going through the motions as if it were just another day at the office, those responsible must have conducted meticulous surveillance over several days or weeks. They studied the layout of the courthouse, the behavioural patterns of the lawyers, and even how law books are carried into the courtroom. They would have also figured out how to slip through the entrance, guarded by an armed police sentry with an ammunition pouch strapped to his chest, who is always on duty.

Are police intelligence warnings reliable?

What does this show? The recently upgraded Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), or even the long-functioning crime-fighting units of the police force, seem to have been caught off guard, with no intelligence on these critical aspects. Had they been aware, preventive measures would surely have been in place. There is no use of a security presence in the courts if those deployed cannot act during a crisis. This is particularly troubling given that Samararatne, alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa, was a high-profile target who had previously testified online via Zoom. This time, he was escorted in a prison bus from Boosa to Colombo with STF commandos. Yet, the magistrate who summoned him to Court No. 9 was on leave, and he was instead produced in Court No. 5.

This brings serious questions to the fore: How reliable or credible are the police intelligence warnings? How credible are their threat assessments? Besides the criminal underworld, even the assessments of security threats to VIPs, particularly the former presidents, appear questionable considering the recent incident. Are they in keeping with present ground realities? The personal security of former Presidents Maithripala Sirisena, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, and Ranil Wickremesinghe has been reduced. The main reason attributed by NPP government leaders for withdrawing their perks, including security, is to cut costs. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake pledged to prioritise this during his election campaign. A wrong turn of events could only place the blame on his shoulders.

The panic reaction of some members of the NPP-JVP leadership after the shooting incident lays bare even more security lapses. Hardly had hours passed when Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara turned up outside the entrance to the court on Wednesday afternoon. Standing on the road, he spoke to a uniformed STF commando and later addressed a roadside impromptu news conference. He disclosed that the government would soon introduce new laws to enable suspects to testify online. He did admit that there was a security lapse. Earlier that day, Deputy Minister of Public Security, Sunil Watagala, turned up at the crime scene. He inspected the area and was heard berating his driver in choice language on his mobile phone. It is not fit to print. Their presence at the scene exposed the duo to a security threat. It had not become clear by then whether the shooting ended the incident or if others were lurking around. They were in harm’s way.

Acting Police Chief Priyantha Weerasooriya also visited the crime scene. He cannot be blamed for the recent events, for it has been an accumulation of problems over the years. It turned worse during the previous government’s tenure, when the Police were used as a personal weapon by some politicians. Weerasooriya has announced a sweeping transformation within the police force. Fresh recruits are now subjected to rigorous drug tests, and a reshuffle is underway with station officers being transferred out, making room for more capable individuals. Yet, a glaring issue remains unaddressed: how senior police officers, particularly those within the once shut-down Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), have amassed fortunes seemingly overnight. These officers allegedly sold investigation findings to interested parties, including the very targets of their probes, in exchange for hefty sums of money.

Ex-investigator turned high-society
millionaire

One such officer’s rapid rise to affluence has raised eyebrows. This is because of findings in several high-profile cases that did not see their conclusion. Now the NPP-JVP administration has pledged to expose those involved in bribery and corruption at a high level. The officer now boasts ownership of prime real estate in Colombo 7, cruises around in a brand-new Mercedes Benz, and holds membership in nearly all of Colombo’s elite social clubs. At one prestigious club catering to the upper echelons of society, he shelled out a million rupees just for the privilege of membership. His influence extends further, having become a director of a company he once investigated. Additionally, a family member of his has secured directorship in a company launched alongside a relative of an extremely wealthy individual he scrutinised. These instances of unchecked corruption, like many others, remain buried in the shadows, never seeing the light of day. The FCID, which has now been resurrected, will have to revive these cases, though it is no easy task.

Former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundera had asked the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to probe this officer’s assets during the yahapalana regime. He was investigating cases that involved billions of dollars being made by certain individuals and companies. This came amidst the officer’s own protests to then Premier, Ranil Wickremesinghe, saying that he was being punished for his work, according to FCID documents seen by the Sunday Times. This, however, had been ignored. Similarly, there had been other investigators where identified officers allegedly made money from drug barons. They also came under a high-level probe. The question is being raised again in the national interest for two main reasons. One is the fact that the government’s efforts to investigate corruption will not succeed if investigations are conducted with the wrong people. It will be stymied by them. The other is the fact that those who are corrupt are betraying the very ideals the government claims it stands for. It tends to go against the pledge it has made to bring those who profited by bribery and corruption to book.

Like in the case of the serving officers, those who retired were also reluctant to speak publicly. This again is for fear of coming to the adverse notice of NPP-JVP leaders. According to one of them, there were two major drawbacks in the Police that needed to be addressed to prevent what he called further deterioration. One, he pointed out, was mobile or foot patrols that are now not heard of. “Whatever little in this practice that existed then is all now gone,” he said.

One of the reasons was the 2022 aragalaya or the protests. Strengths from all police stations were drawn to the streets to prevent attacks, ensure orderliness in queues outside fuel stations, and mainly guard government establishments. Police fuel quotas were reduced. Adding to that was providing additional security to politicians. He said, “When we were OICs of stations, it was mandatory that we conducted two patrol rounds a day, one in the early hours of the evening and one late at night. Our very presence gave confidence to the law-abiding citizens that they were secure. This does not happen anymore. People are also now frightened to go to police stations. They look for someone influential to speak to those at the station. I get such requests every week.”

He added, “Nowadays, the OICs of stations are not dependent on their efficient performance for promotions. They have become a toy in the hands of the area politician. A letter from him ensures quick promotion. During the previous administration, many officers in charge of police stations in the south were posted to stations in and around Colombo as they were supporters of a leading politician. A onetime Police chief once said that over 90 percent of the promotions were based on letters from area politicians. Imagine the material that has ended the gazetted ranks. Today’s trend is disquieting. Wait and see. When something goes wrong, they will blame it on the highest political leaders. They would want to secure their own positions.”

President’s assurance

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake vowed on Wednesday that the underworld would be eliminated in due course of time. He is, of course, well-meaning, and his determination is not in doubt. However, the same assurances have also been made by his predecessors, some even resorting to extra-legal methods to fight criminals. The fear of custodial deaths has been the subject of discussion by some opposition groups in the backdrop of this week’s developments. Just this week, a video from the Deputy Defence Minister, retired Major General Aruna Jayasekera, went viral. In that, he asked those who do not know national security to meet him with a desk and a chair. He vowed to give them tuition on the subject. One is not sure whether the shoe is on the wrong foot now.

The recent surge in killings appears to be an attempt to disrupt ongoing investigations into several high-profile criminal cases, including a fresh probe into the Easter Sunday attacks, according to Ravi Seneviratne, Secretary to the Public Security Ministry. Criminal gangs have historically relied on political patronage. “However, the current government has initiated investigations into these incidents, leading to indictments and further probes,” the retired Senior DIG in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) claimed. He, however, did not cite the cases where indictments have been made. As is well known, the only high-profile cases where indictments have been served are on two Rajapaksa brothers, Namal and Yoshitha, separately. That again is over probes conducted more than nine years ago. He told a news conference at the Government Information Department that “intelligence reports indicate attempts to sabotage these investigations and destabilise the country. Authorities have identified those responsible and plan to enforce the law strictly.”

Acting Police Chief Priyantha Weerasooriya noted that the lack of political support has forced many criminals to flee the country. So far in 2025, there have been 17 shootings and five knife attacks. Among those involved were those from the armed forces. Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha declared at the same news conference that armed forces personnel who received weapons training had quit thereafter. They have been found to be training those in the underworld.

The remarks of all three, to say the least, underscore the fact that there is a serious security problem. All they have done at the news conference is to give the reasons they believe for such a situation. How they come up with measures to deal with them remains to be seen. Of particular significance from Secretary Seneviratne’s remarks are the identities of those who want to disrupt investigations into crime. Who are they? If that is accepted, the two longstanding issues in the criminal underworld do not exist. One is the proliferation of weapons used by crime syndicates for murder. The other is the growing menace of drugs being smuggled into Sri Lanka. It is now a big time industry. These are intertwined. He appears to have not understood the issues involved or believed in “intelligence” not matching ground realities.

There is no gainsaying that the security of the judiciary should be strengthened. They cannot be expected to deliver justice in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Yet, an important outcome of Wednesday’s magistrate’s court shooting incident is the strengthening of security measures. The lawyers will bear the brunt of it because of the security breach caused by an imposter turned killer. Even more, the litigants, who are members of the public, will face greater difficulties. They will come under closer scrutiny when they visit the temples of justice. They also need protection from a stronger and more disciplined police force.