In Sri Lanka, a shocking security breach occurred at Hulftsdorp Court Complex yesterday when a gunman, disguised as a lawyer, fatally shot notorious underworld figure Ganemulla Sanjeewa inside the high-security premises.
The attacker, identified as 34-year-old Mohammed Asman Sherifdeen, a former Sri Lanka Army Commando Regiment member, was seated at the lawyers’ table before suddenly opening fire as Sanjeewa entered the dock for a remand hearing. The assailant fled immediately but was later arrested in Puttalam’s Palaviya area.
Police revealed that Sherifdeen smuggled the firearm into the courthouse inside a Code of Criminal Procedure book, bypassing security checks.
Sanjeewa sustained critical injuries and was rushed to Colombo National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He had been detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act since his arrest at Bandaranaike International Airport in September 2023.
Addressing Parliament, Chief Government Whip Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, acknowledged concerns over rising underworld violence but assured that law enforcement was intensifying efforts to dismantle criminal networks. Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara linked the incident to broader security failures, also referencing a deadly shooting in Middeniya the previous night.