Rs 6.5 Million for Freedom—But Nepal Wasn’t the Safe Haven She Expected

COLOMBO (News 1st); Nepalese media is shedding light on the dramatic arrest of six Sri Lankan nationals linked to the assassination of underworld leader Ganemulla Sanjeewa, with Kathmandu Post revealing new details about their movements and the covert operation that led to their capture.

According to the report, the suspects—including Ishara Sewwandi, the prime accused—had been living discreetly across Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, exploiting Nepal’s open border with India to evade authorities. 

Interpol had issued a red notice for the suspects, alerting member countries to track individuals wanted for crimes. The embassy of the issuing country may also become involved in such cases, said the Kathmandu Post.

Sewwandi, who allegedly smuggled a firearm into a Colombo courtroom disguised as a lawyer, rented a room in Bhaktapur under a false identity, claiming to be from Bengaluru, India. Investigators told the Kathmandu Post she rarely left her room, likely to avoid detection.

The arrests were carried out by Nepal Police’s Interpol National Central Bureau after surveillance was triggered by concerns raised by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kathmandu.

A Nepal Police officer said, “The Sri Lankan Embassy in Kathmandu expressed concern in this case, prompting us to start surveillance. The operation was carried out by a team from the Interpol National Central Bureau at Nepal Police Headquarters, Naxal.”

Officers revealed that Sewwandi spent Rs6.5 million to escape Sri Lanka, first fleeing by sea to India, staying there for two weeks, and then crossing into Nepal overland.

“She apparently felt safe here, believing the Nepal Police would not arrest her.”

Other suspects, including Kenedy Bastiampillai (alias J.K. Bai), were tracked to a hotel in Thamel, while two others were arrested near Mitrapark, New Bus Park. Police sources confirmed that two suspects entered Nepal by air using passports, while the remaining four crossed the porous border without documents.

The Kathmandu Post reports that all six suspects belong to a gang led by Kehelbaddara Padme, a figure tied to drug trafficking and organized crime across Malaysia and Dubai. 

Padme, believed to have masterminded Sanjeewa’s murder, was arrested in Indonesia in August.

Nepal Police officials told the Kathmandu Post that since the suspects committed no crimes in Nepal, they were deported after paying fines under Nepali law. 

Interpol officials noted that Sri Lankan criminals hiding in Nepal are rare.