Underworld gangster shot dead by unidentified gunman

By Tony Karunanayaka   

 An underworld gangster, Manikkuge Prabhath Priyankara (30)  alias “Chandra” had been shot dead by an unidentified gunman at Ruwan  Mawatha turnoff in Dagonna Road in Minuwangoda on Thursday night (16).     
 Police said he was a resident of Peellawatta, in  Katunayaka and a close confidante of the suspected underworld leader  Heenatiyana Mahesh, now hiding in Dubai and that he had been on remand  on the charge of peddling heroin and shooting a police officer of the  Minuwangoda Police and released on bail recently.   

 Investigations revealed that he was riding a motorcycle at about 9.30 pm when the gunmen waylaid and shot him. After receiving  gunshot injuries, he had run a little distance and had fallen by the  roadside.     OIC Minuwangoda Police IP Chandana Kulasuriya, OIC Crime  Investigation Branch SI A.S.B. Medagama and SI Jayawardene are conducting  further investigations on the instructions of ASP Thusitha Kumara and  SSP Jagath Rohana.