SLA soldier kills superior, commits suicide in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 June 2004, 13:06 GMT]
Mr. Ratnayake Mudiansalagae Seneviratne, a twenty-year-old soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Friday shot dead his 37-year-old superior Sergeant Mr. Gunaratne Vasantha Liyanage and then committed suicide by shooting himself. He left a letter stating that he had killed his superior, as he was unable to tolerate his punishment, police said.

Both were serving in a SLA camp located in Kerativu in Chavakachcheri area in Thenmaradchchi division.

Soldier Seneviratene is a native of Medigiriya and Sergeant Liyanage is from Medawahchiya, police said.

Initial police investigation revealed that the suspect soldier on Friday morning around noon had entered the room where the deceased sergeant was staying and shot him at point blank. The sergeant died on the spot.

Thereafter the suspect shot himself.

The letter left behind by Seneviratne said that another soldier owed him about Rs 8,000/= and requested his superior to recover the money from the soldier and to spend on charity, police said.

The Chavakachcheri Magistrate Mr.P.Subramaniam visited the scene and inspected the bodies of the soldiers. The Magistrate further ordered the Police to send the bodies to Colombo for autopsy and report, legal sources said.