A notorious gang leader in Sri Lanka was shot dead Wednesday inside a courthouse by a gunman disguised as a lawyer, the BBC reported. Gang leader Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne, a suspect in multiple murder cases, was brought to court under a heavy armed escort by commandos from the elite Special Task Force. He was shot at close range as he entered the dock in a bail hearing at the Colombo Magistrates Court, police said in a statement. He was taken to hospital after he was shot but was pronounced dead on arrival.
The gang leader, popularly known as Ganemulle Sanjeewa, had been in custody since he was arrested in September 2023, as per the outlet. Police said that the gunman used a revolver which was smuggled in a hollowed-out book by a female suspect. He managed to flee the scene but was later captured by police. Cops have identified the female suspect as 25-year-old Pinpura Dewage Ishara Sewwandi.
Officials have reportedly put out a notice promising a reward for anyone providing information on the woman. Police have also arrested a policeman and van driver suspected of helping the two suspects in the shooting.
Notably, the latest incident is among a series of killings by rival gangs. At least nine people have died this year in a spate of shootings blamed on gang rivalry, as per the BBC. Amid this, authorities have vowed to crack down on gang violence in the country. The incident has also raised questions about security in the courthouse, with authorities currently reviewing security measures.
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On Wednesday, lawmakers also discussed reining in gang violence in parliament, with an opposition MP calling it a “major security issue”. Health and mass media minister Nalinda Jayatissa, who in December had pledged to crack down on such criminal activity, said on Wednesday that the government would “take the actions of organised underworld gangs seriously”.
Moreover, new security protocols are being implemented in the wake of the shooting, including deploying armed guards when certain people are brought to court.
