Sobanahandi Sanath de Silva, widely known by his aliases 'Karandeniye Raju', 'Raju', or 'S.F. Raju', the 43-year-old brother of notorious Sri Lankan underworld figure 'Karandeniya Sudda' (Sobanahandi Jayalath de Silva), has been extradited to Sri Lanka following his arrest in India.
Raju was apprehended by Indian security forces at New Delhi Airport while reportedly attempting to flee to Greece, having previously been hiding in Dubai for a long time. His arrest was facilitated by an Interpol Red Notice, issued at the request of Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and based on information received by a Police Inspector of the Police Central Criminal Investigation Bureau.
A special team of CID officers traveled to India to facilitate his transfer. He was brought back to Sri Lanka on an Air India flight on April 17th, arriving at Katunayake Airport under strict security. Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala confirmed the extradition.
Raju, a resident of Meetiyagoda, is alleged to be a key figure in organized crime and is wanted by Sri Lankan authorities for a vast array of offenses. He faces charges related to drug trafficking and multiple murders, particularly in the Southern Province. Police investigations link him to 48 human murders in the Southern Province, including the murder of an Akuregoda lawyer and his wife, the murder of Police Inspector Balendrasinghe, and the murder of PHI Roshan Kumara. He is also alleged to have planned all murders carried out by Karandeniya Sudda, orchestrated other crimes, and transported weapons.
Sri Lankan courts have issued over 15 warrants and 26 overseas travel bans against him, with charges spanning police areas including Meetiyagoda, Karandeniya, Elpitiya, and Balapitiya. Following his arrival, Police Media Spokesperson Assistant Superintendent of Police F.U. Wuttler confirmed that Raju was initially detained for 72 hours for further investigations. Upon the expiry of this period, he was subsequently ordered to be detained for 90 days under the powers of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) for continued questioning.
In a significant development on April 25th, a firearm and thirteen rounds of ammunition, along with two nailed planks, were discovered at Raju's Meetiyagoda residence during questioning. This operation was conducted by a team of officers from the Police Central Criminal Investigation Bureau, led by Senior Superintendent of Police Kamal Ariyawansa, in collaboration with Meetiyagoda Police. Additionally, four suspects who allegedly planned a murder while hiding at Raju's Meetiyagoda residence were recently apprehended by Sri Lankan police, highlighting the extensive network associated with him.