Naval rating kills lover and commits suicide

Tragedy befell a young woman who was in the prime of her life when her enraged ex-lover shot her dead. The killer thereafter committed suicide by shooting himself with the same firearm.

The police identified the woman victim as Nadisha Nelum Somasiri (22), a Naval rating who was attached to the Naval Camp at Trincomalee. She was a native of Gonapola in the Nawalapitiya area. The killer was R.M.G. Surendra (36), a Naval rating attached to the Vakarai Naval Camp. He was from Maha Oya, Wellawaya in the Uva Province.

Motive

The motive behind the murder and the suicide was probably due to a love affair that turned sour and the refusal on the part of the woman to marry her lover.

Although the killer was a married man with a child he had distanced himself from his spouse after coming into contact with Nelum. He was infatuated by her beauty and demeanour.

Their love affair blossomed after working at the Karainagar Naval Camp four years ago. It was a time when terrorism was at its peak when Naval personnel were confined to their barracks. The sailors had plenty of time to get to know each other personally. It was against this backdrop that Surendra began a love affair with Nelum.

She was a tall, young and a fair complexioned woman. She caught Surendra's eye after she reported at the Naval Base. As time went by they became closer to each other to the envy of other sailors at the camp.

Happiness

They carried on for almost three years but their happiness was short-lived. Soon Nelum got to know that Surendra was a married man with a child who had separated from his spouse.

This worried her a lot. She knew that her parents would object to her marrying a divorced man. Surendra insisted that Nelum should marry him.

He became furious when he learnt that another Naval rating stationed at Galle was proposed by her parents to her. They started quarrelling over the new development. When they completed their stint at the Karainagar Naval Base both of them were transferred to two different Naval Camps. After reporting for work at the Trincomalee Naval Camp, she wanted to marry the man proposed by her parents. Naval Spokesman, Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya said Naval rating Surendra was a ground patrolman who served at the Karainagar Naval Base a few years ago.

He was later transferred to the Vakarai Naval Camp. The spokesman said there was no official complaint against Surendra while he served at the Karainagar camp. Even the woman Naval rating had not made any official complaint against Surendra while they were together at the Karainagar Camp.

He said the Naval rating had brought dishonour to the Navy by his conduct. He opened fire on an unarmed colleague with a T-81 automatic weapon inside the Trincomalee Naval Camp as an act of revenge. The Navy conducted an investigation on the incident, he said.

Seven months ago when Nelum came home on leave, Surendra had followed her all the way to Nawalapitiya against her wishes. When Nelum told her mother about it she was frightened and took precautions.

Surendra visited her home drunk and had kept on knocking at the door. Fearing that he might break the door Nelum's mother had informed the Nawalapitiya police.

When the police arrived they found Surendra in the compound. They arrested and took him to the Nawalapitiya Police station where the OIC warned him not to harm the woman. Then he was enlarged on personal bail, police said.

The incident took place on March 6 at the Trincomalee Naval Camp when a vehicle from the Vakarai Naval Camp was brought for repairs. Naval rating G. Surendra was detailed for armed escort.

The vehicle was taken to the Trincomalee camp and nothing untoward happened that night. However, on the following day around 12.30 p.m. Surendra spotted Nelum, his old flame, at the Naval Camp. She was carrying a packet of lunch and was walking in the camp accompanied by another woman Naval rating. Nelum was attached to the Naval Welfare Centre at Trincomalee.

Surendra's heart raced when he saw her. Old memories vividly crossed his mind. But in the same breath he hated her for betraying him.

He felt desperate after seeking her and wanted to take revenge against her. When Nelum turned back she was frightened to see him fuming with rage. There was a quick exchange of words and she attempted to run away sensing danger to her life.

The killer, however, pursued her and shot her dead in cold blood. He then looked at her body for a few minutes as if to pay homage and knelt beside it. He then kept the automatic firearm against his jaw and pulled the trigger releasing a volley of bullets. His body slumped against the body of the fallen woman.

Everything happened in a flash, but sailors on duty at the Naval Camp witnessed the gruesome killing. Later the Trincomalee harbour police visited the scene of the crime to investigate the murder and the suicide.

The slain woman sailor was a native of Nawalapitiya and as a schoolgirl had attended the Warakawa Primary School and later St. Andrew's Girls’ School at Nawalapitiya. She had two elder brothers and a younger brother. She last visited her home during the Sinhala and the Tamil New Year.

She had spent the New Year happily with her family.Although she could not come home for Vesak she had promised to take her parents on a pilgrimage to Anuradhapura during the Poson season.