Tragedy strikes Ampara

Killing of preacher shocks community:

The world is filled with heart rending stories which we often hear and read in newspapers. One such horrendous story reported last week in newspapers was the slaying of an Ex -Salvation Army Captain turned preacher named S. Neil Edirisinghe in the Ampara town.

The killings sent ripples in the Christian community that a preacher belonging to an orthodox church denomination had been brutally assassinated. His wife who was with him when the shooting occurred received gun shot injuries and was taken to the Amapara hospital. The shooting incident scared people in Ampara that a LTTE pistol gang was prowling in the town.

Following glaring newspaper reports and due to the sensitive nature of the crime, especially slaying of a preacher, a top level police probe was ordered by DIG Batticoloa Range, Rienzy Perera. He told the police team to apprehend the assassins as soon as possible to avert condemnation from the Christian community.

Due to rumour mongers spreading false stories in the area police had to act swiftly to alley fears of the public. By now fear was engulfing Ampara following the killing. The police too had unanswered queries. They were concerned whether it was done by some religious zealots to create disharmony among persons of different faiths or whether it was a sporadic assassination executed by a splinter LTTE group in the area.

Due to the sensitive nature of the inquiry, a team headed by DIG Battticoloa Range, Rienzy Perera, SSP Amapara Division, Anil Wijesooriya, HOI Ampara A. Weerakoon and several other police officers began probing the murder.

The victim was a preacher named Neil Edirisinghe (37) who had taken robes after quitting the Salvation Army. He had lived with his wife (31) in a house at Ampara town adjacent to the YMCA and the YMBA institutions.

During the course of the investigations it was revealed that two men had arrived opposite the preacher's home last Sunday around 9.00 p.m. in a red coloured motor cycle. They had waited silently near a bush close to the preacher's home till the opportune moment came. The two men stealthily entered the preacher's home.

One man armed with a T-56 weapon had approached the preacher and fired two shots at him wounding him fatally. The second shot had struck his wife injuring her severely. After accomplishing their mission the men rode off into the silent night without being noticed by anyone.

The police were baffled initially as they could not figure out who carried out the job. But by carefully following several clues they were able to unmask the killers. After a relentless investigation, police took into custody two Home Guards attached to the Ampara Police station for questioning.

It was a fine piece of detective work by the Ampara police under the supervision of DIG Rienzy Perera and Senior DIG Mahinda Balasuriya overseeing the Eastern and Northern Ranges. The two Home Guards under intense grilling spilled the beans about the murder.

They were hired assassins who were paid by a Car salesman in Amapara town a sum of Rs. 20,000 to assassinate the Preacher. In fact the Car Salesman was a close relative of one Home Guard.

A couple of weeks ago the Car Salesman had approached the Home Guard and made discreet inquiries whether he could liquidate the Preacher. The Home Guard then demanded rupees one lakh for the job. But as the Car Salesman was not agreeable the Home Guard demanded Rs. 50,000 from him. After negotiating several times the Car Salesman agreed to pay him Rs. 20,000. After the deal was clinched a sum of Rs. 20,000 was given to the Home Guard by the Car Salesman.

After intense interrogation the Home Guards revealed to police that the Car Salesman had an axe to grind with the preacher. It was a personal matter involving his wife and two children they told the policemen, The Car salesman who had come up through the hard way had amassed a large fortune.

He had dropped out of school after the ninth grade at the Gamini Maha Vidyalaya, Amapara. Thereafter he did various odd jobs including trafficking Ganja and became rich. With the acquired wealth he ventured into car sales business and set up a car sales centre at Ampara. He prospered rapidly and became a wealthy businessman.

Thereafter he married a pretty lass from Ampara. It was a proposed marriage and he was soon blessed with two children. Nevertheless he often quarrelled with his wife on matrimonial issues. He was partly to be blamed because of his womanising nature. After doing business for a while at Ampara he bade farewell and set up a Car sales centre at Kurunegala.

He went to live with his family there. The business thrived, but domestic conflicts once again erupted due to his miserly nature. This time it was over his wife remitting large sums of money to her mother in Ampara. In a drastic move, he quit Kurunegala and came to Ampara where he again set up a car Sales centre.

Due to constant quarrels with his wife he instituted divorce proceedings in courts and lived separately from his wife. Meanwhile his wife sought solace from a failed marriage by befriending the preacher named Edirisinghe. She sought his guidance and comfort on many matters. However the Car Salesman was furious when he came to know about the intimate relationship he had with his wife.

He presumably suspected that his wife had an illicit affair with the preacher. Meanwhile following the arrest of the three Home Guards the police recovered the T-56 weapon and the Motor cycle and several other related documents.

On the day of the incident the two Home Guards involved in the assassination had visited the police Mess at Ampara and had consumed liquor before setting out on the job. The cellular mobile phone used by them was also taken into custody by the police.