The six individuals arrested in Kathmandu for their alleged involvement in the murder of underworld figure Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne have been deported to Sri Lanka by the Government of Nepal on Wednesday.
In a special operation coordinated with Nepal Police, six suspects linked to the murder of Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne (also known as Ganemulla Sanjeewa) were arrested in Kathmandu. It was later revealed that they had been sheltering in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.
According to high-level police sources, the arrested individuals are:
- Ishara Sewwandi Weerashingha Pinpura Dewage (26)
- Jeewathasan Kanakarasa (33)
- Takaksi Nanthakumar (23)
- Dinesh Shamantha De Silva (49)
- Kennedy Bastimpillai (35)
- Dinesh Nisantha Kumara Wikkram Achirchchage (43)
Among them, Isara Sewwandi is the prime accused in the murder of Sanjeewa Kumara, which occurred on February 19, 2024 inside the magistrate court premises of Colombo’s Hulfsdorp court.
Interpol had issued a Red Notice against Seubandi. Member countries of Interpol investigate whether such individuals are present within their borders. Sometimes, the embassy of the requesting country also shows interest. In this case, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kathmandu had expressed concern, prompting surveillance.
Nepal Police deployed a team from the National Central Bureau (NCB) of Interpol, based at Police Headquarters in Naxal, to apprehend the group.
All six arrested individuals are reportedly members of the notorious Sri Lankan drug trafficking and organized crime syndicate led by Kehelbaddara Padye. Padye had been operating criminal rackets from Malaysia and Dubai. He too was under a Red Notice and was arrested in Indonesia on August 25. Sri Lankan police and local media have identified Padye as the mastermind behind Sanjeewa’s murder.
According to investigators, prime suspect Isara Seubandi had rented a room in Bhaktapur, posing as an Indian citizen from Bangalore. She had been living there for about a month, mostly staying indoors to avoid detection.
(With inputs from Nepali outlets)
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