Embilipitiya killer tracked down in estate

Garusinghege Priyantha alias Neluwe Priyantha (45) was a notorious man and a ruthless killer who did not spare the lives of his adversaries in the southern province. For more than two decades the people in the Southern province were terrorised by him. People trembled when they heard his name. Priyantha had a network of informants spread out in the southern province who tipped him off whenever policemen were on his trail. As a matter of fact nobody came forward to give evidence against him in a court of law for fear of being killed. For this reason he was able to evade arrest for well over two decades.

He amassed a fortune by cultivating vast acres of land with Ganja (Cannabis Sativa) in the Thanamalwila area. Violence spilled out of control in the Southern Province in the early nineties when several persons were either stabbed or shot to death. Sooriyawewa was considered a violent turf when Priyantha reigned supreme. Neluwe Priyantha was linked to several assassinations in the Southern Province. His hands were tainted with blood with the killings of over 85 persons in the Thanamalwila, Udawalave, Embilipitiya and in the Sooriyawewa. But he only confessed to only 25 killings, after he was arrested by the Special Task Forces (STF) Commandoes, STF sources told the “Sunday Observer.”

Neluwe Priyantha’s family roots were in the southern province. His permanent address was Nelu-Yaya Kithulkote at Thanamalvila. He studied up to G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination at the Morayaya Maha- Vidyalaya and thereafter joined the Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) movement in 1989. He became an active member and thereafter was appointed as the military wing leader of the JVP to oversee activities in Balaharuwa, Kuda Oya, Thanamalvila, areas in the period of 1989-1990. While being a hardcore JVP activist he underwent firearm training in sophisticated weapons such as the T-56, Semi Loading Rifle (SLR) and in shot guns. An army deserter by the name of Nicles was his guru. He had taught him to handle these sophisticated firearms, according to STF sources.

Neluwe Priyantha’s killing spree commenced in 1989 when he stabbed to death an army cook named Gunna who was attached to the army camp at Thanamalvila somewhere in 1989. Guna was his first victim. His second victim was a man named Kirigoris of Kithulkote Thanamalvila. He too was stabbed to death by him. Thereafter he killed the Grama Sevake (GS) of Haldemulle in the Haputale district by stabbing him to death in 1989. The same year he killed a man named Masgunaya by shooting him with a shot gun. These people were killed because Neluwe Priyantha feared that they were military informants. After being dormant for five years, he resumed his killing spree by stabbing to death a man named Priyankara of Kuda -Oya.

However following the massacre of JVP military wing leaders between 1989-1990 by the security forces, Neluwe Priyantha went into hiding and became an underworld figure. He had an axe to grind with another rival underworld man named Pathanna Yaya Maddumage to gain control of the turf. Maddumage was shot to death at Wammbatu-Weva in the Thanamalwila area in 1995. Neluwe Priyantha was a ruthless killer who showed no remorse for any one who crossed his path. He lobbed a hand grenade at a group of seven men who were his adversaries. The seven men were supporters of another rival gang. Priyantha killed the injured men one by one by cutting and chopping them with a sword. Their bodies were later burnt to avoid identification. The seven victims were men who tended cattle at a farm at Thanamalvila.

Police weapons

Priyantha thereafter killed a man named Sooriyawewa Rajah in 2001 by shooting him with a T 56 weapon in the Anderawewa area. The killing that he began in 1989 by using a knife culminated with sophisticated weapons being used over the years. He used military and police weapons such as T-56 and SLR to silence his victims. In 2002 he killed a man named Morayaye John Siri by firing at him with a Galkatas. In June that year he burst into a hotel at Embilipitiya with a T-56 weapon and killed a man named Nadim while he was having a drink at a hotel in Embilipitiya.

On 6th of June 2002 he trespassed into a house at Kithulkote at Thanamalwila and killed five people including Gunasinghe Mannayake alias Banda, and their family members. In the same year he killed Ambalagedera Sumith and Chutta by shooting them with a SLR weapon at Thanamalvila. Another of his victim was Buruthagasgodelle Suddha who was shot dead by him at Lunugamwehera. During the period 2002-2004 Neluwe Priyantha was the undisputed kingpin of the underworld in the southern province. He reigned supreme and was the boss of bosses. He was feared by his enemies as well as his associates. Nobody was there to challenge his authority as people feared him.

Although Neluwe Priyantha was accused of killing more than 85 people he admitted killing only 25 persons. He was also accused of robbing Rs 80,000 from the Hakkmana mills and Rs 15 lakhs from a cigarette agency at Amabalantota. “He did not belong to any gang as such but operated alone. He was a married person with three boys and a girl. His wife’s name was Rajapurage Sunitha. His son were Dilan Chammika (17) and Pradeep Sanjewa (12) and Chandu Mandara(9). His daughter was Sajini Nimaka (15) Years.

Wanted fugitive

Special Task Force (STF) sources told the “Sunday Observer”. Priyantha was on the Special Task Force (STF) list for a considerable period of time. When information trickled into the Special Task Force (STF) headquarters three months ago about the whereabouts of the fugitive, DIG Ranawana detailed STF operatives to track him down. STF Commandoes missed him on a number of occasions in the past due to his skilful manoeuvring. Before he set out from his place of abode he always sent out a reconnaissance patrol on a motor cycle ahead to inform him of any police presence. His henchmen provided with information regarding police and army movements. As a safeguard Priyantha swapped motor cycles to avoid being identified by the security forces.

Finally on a tip off STF Commandoes surrounded the Morning Side Estate at Sooriyakande Embilipitiya last week where the most wanted fugitive was hiding. He was arrested and whisked away to Deianadarwewa in the Sooriyawewa around 10 pm to recover a stockpile of weapons hidden in an abandoned house. While the STF Commandoes were in the process of recovering the hidden weapons Neluwe Priyantha pulled out a pistol from the ground. While aiming the pistol at a STF Commando, he was shot and injured by another STF Commando. The critically wounded fugitive was rushed to the Sooriyawewa hospital where he succumbed to injuries that night.