In Sri Lanka, a gang leader was shot dead in a courtroom

In Sri Lanka, gang leader Sanjeevu Kumara Samararatne, known as Ganemulle Sanjiva, was shot dead in the courthouse. This was reported on February 21 by the BBC television channel with reference to the police.

The incident occurred in the capital Colombo during the trial, to which Samararatne was brought. He had been in custody since his arrest in September 2023.

It is clarified that he was escorted to the courthouse by a dozen police officers on Wednesday. The man who shot Samararatne had disguised himself as a lawyer using a revolver hidden in a hollowed-out book. The book was carried by 25-year-old Pinpura Devage Ishara Siewandi, according to police. Authorities have promised a reward for information about her.

Samararatne himself was taken to hospital, but medics pronounced him dead on arrival.

The BBC also reported that in addition to the killer and an accomplice, a police officer and a van driver suspected of helping the criminals have been detained.

The shooting in the courtroom became another episode in a series of criminal gang warfare, against which the authorities announced the need to tighten security measures. Following the incident, the government announced new court protection protocols, including the deployment of armed guards to escort high-risk individuals.