Well-known underworld figure Sanjeewa Samararatne – popularly known as Ganemulla Sanjeewa or Malingamuwe Sanjeewa - who was in custody for plotting to assassinate M. A. Sumanthiran MP as well as for weapons trading and several other charges was released along with 10 others by the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court on April 12, 2021.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala released the 11 suspects when the case came up before him.
Alongside the plot to assassinate M. A. Sumanthiran MP, investigators had probed related threads including digging up claymore mines and T-56 assault rifles buried in the North by the LTTE, smuggling the same to Colombo and suburbs and trading with underworld figures.
The Magistrate released the suspects upon officers of the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) declaring to the court that the Attorney General had advised there is not enough evidence to prosecute this group of 11 and to prepare to prosecute another 4 at a later time.
CCD had earlier arrested these 15 individuals, including Ganemulla Sanjeewa, based on revelations by a former LTTE member who was arrested in Wattala for carrying arms. Ganemulla Sanjeewa was already in remand for another case when he was arrested for the present charges.
The CID moved him to the Wellawatte Police Station prison in 2019 and began investigating him under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) on suspicion for plotting to assassinate parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran and for smuggling and trading weapons.
11 of the 15 arrested have now been released after being held in remand and investigated for more than two-and-a-half years.
