A gunman disguised as a lawyer entered a courtroom and shot dead a notorious gang leader. The gang leader, Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne, was killed at close range with a revolver smuggled into the courtroom in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in a hollowed-out book.
![[Policemen arrive at the chief magistrate's court in Colombo on February 19, 2025. A Sri Lankan man accused of being a top drug dealer was shot dead inside a courthouse on February 19 by a gunman disguised as a lawyer, police said. Ganemulle Sanjeeva was shot at close range as he entered the dock in a bail hearing at the Colombo Magistrates Court, police said in a statement. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SEI_240522421-4967.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Sanjeewa, also known as Ganemulle Sanjeewa, was taken to hospital from the courtroom but died on arrival. The gunman was on the run for a short while but was eventually captured and had been using various different names, according to the BBC. A 25-year-old woman, Pinpura Dewage Ishara Sewwandi, was an accomplice of the gunman and snuck in the hollowed-out-book.
She is still on the run and authorities have promised people money for information about her. A policeman and van driver have also been arrested on suspicion of helping the two suspects. Sanjeewa was in court as a suspect in multiple murder cases and was escorted by a heavy armed escort.
He had been in custody since he was arrested in September 2023. This incident has raised questions about security in the courthouse – with plans to have more armed guards when certain prisoners arrive at court. Vindika Weerasinghe, a postgraduate scholar at the University of Colombo, told The Telegraph: ‘This incident highlights a clear security lapse by the police responsible for guarding the suspect and securing the court premises. How did an armed assailant enter unchecked?.
‘Blaming a disguise isn’t enough – every entrant should have been screened. Expecting the police to investigate their own failure is simply unacceptable.’. The news comes as authorities in the Sri Lankan capital pledge to crack down on gang violence.
Gang rivalry is responsible for nine shootings alone this year,according to police data. The issue of gang violence was heard in parliament on Wednesday, with minister Nalinda Jayatissa saying the government would ‘take the actions of organised underworld gangs seriously’.
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