Lieutenant Colonel who shot his wife had given Army punishment at home to his children!

Lieutenant Colonel Pradeep Kumara Wettasingha was taken into custody recently for having shot his wife in the stomach but it has come to be known that he was someone who has not faced any allegation any day because of misbehaviour in the Army. However, it is said that his family life had become hell for him. The harm and annoyance he

By now he is in remand custody and he had last served at Nelum Pokuna Theatre, Colombo 7 attached to the ancillary division in the Army and has functioned as the Second-in-Command. This Colonel had directly been involved in the Army during the LTTE war in rescuing the country from the brutal rebels. He had in fact been engaged in duties actively as an Officer-in-Command for a number of years in various parts of the island. He had earned a name within the Army as an officer who dedicated himself honestly to his task. Though he attended to his duties honestly, the colonel was not fortunate enough to make his family life successful. It was because of his confusing disposition.

Colonel Wettasingha entered into marriage about two decades back. It was Miss Inoka Nayana Fernando who took his hand in marriage. The two of them had been blessed with three children and the two elder children are girls while the youngest happens to be a boy. As time passed by this colonel felt that his family life had turned into a hell on earth. Thus he was constantly involved in fights with his wife. Sometimes he would involve in such conflicts and avoid speaking to his wife for months on end. As time went on, the harm he inflicted on his wife and three children aggravated. Most people in the family suspected that the main reason for the colonel to behave in this manner with members of his family was the outcome of an illicit affair. The moment the colonel set his eyes on his wife and three children he would get into a frenzy. After that the wife and the children would be called upon to face Army punishment. Finally it came to a stage where the wife and the three children could no longer live in his company. Subsequently the wife and three children separated from the colonel and lived away from his presence. Though they lived separately there were no signs that the torment of the colonel lessened in any way. The colonel who used to step into the house most unexpectedly would begin to comport himself in the presence of the wife and three children in a beastly manner. The colonel's wife Inoka then realised that in whatever manner they lived, living in freedom was only a dream. She finally discussed with her children and came to a strong settlement. That was to divorce the colonel.

Having discussed with both parties, she filed a divorce case. Even on the day that the case was taken up the colonel had come home and had created oppression to the wife and three children. Ultimately she notified this to Kaduwela Courts. The Kaduwela Magistrates Court then went into action and issued an injunction order against the colonel. It was on the 8th of August that the colonel was totally restrained from gaining access to that house. On coming to hear of the injunction order the colonel flew into a rage. He was in a temper also over the compensation the wife had demanded at the divorce case. When circumstances were such, the divorce case was to be called once more for the next 5th.

The date was the last 27th. There was a concert to be held at Nelum Pokuna that very day. The colonel was in the audience in the company of his paramour and four others on that day. Several hours after the concert came to an end the colonel set off with his driver to his ancestral home in Veyangoda area. When he arrived at his ancestral home it was past 9 in the night. The colonel who whiled away some time there then proceeded to Colombo with his driver by taking with him a pistol which he had hidden in the house. While on the way to Colombo what the colonel had told the driver was to proceed to where his wife was living down Isurupura Road, Pittugala in Malabe. The driver then acceded to his high officer's instructions and did what he was told. The colonel then instructed the driver to stop the vehicle about a distance of 300 metres from the house where his wife was residing. A while later what the colonel did was to remove his uniform and put on a black coloured dress within the vehicle itself. He then told the driver to stay there in the vehicle and after taking the pistol into his hands proceeded towards the house where his wife was residing.

The colonel actually went towards the home where his wife was living, with the motive of shooting her and putting an end to her life. In fact he had been in such a hostile mood with his wife. The colonel who used the rear part of the house then approached the room where the wife's bedroom was. In the meantime his wife Inoka had come to the bedroom to sleep. Only a split second passed .... she could not think anything ... three gunshots were fired at her from the direction of the bedroom. The gunshots were aimed at her stomach region, her right arm and the right leg. She then shouted in agony to save her life.

The colonel who fired at his estranged wife by taking cover from the window thought that his intention was realised and fleeing from there sprinted towards his vehicle. The children in the house having heard the sound of a gun and the mother's screams ran to the mother's bedroom. Even by that time the mother was found fallen in a pool of blood. Instantly the Police Emergency Unit was summoned and they took action to admit the mother of the children to hospital. The driver understood that something horrific had taken place when he noticed the colonel jumping into the vehicle, panting all the while. However he was too scared to question his higher officer about it. The colonel then ordered the driver to drive towards Colombo.

The colonel once again issued orders to the driver to stop the vehicle near the Japan Friendship Bridge in parliament area. Subsequently, the colonel who alighted from the motor vehicle tossed the pistol with which he shot his wife into the Diyawanna Oya, heaving a sigh of relief that his dream was realised.

The incident of a colonel's wife being shot at was spread around the media across the country. The aftermath of it then happened to be that a majority of the public had been keeping their attention focused on this episode. On the other hand the Athurugiriya Police too went into quick action over this incident. The colonel then was taken into custody on suspicion and he was interrogated for a number of hours. But nothing could be extracted from him. What the colonel said was that when this tragic incident took place he was engaged in his duties at Nelum Pokuna Theatre.

Police officers of Athurugiriya Police however had no idea of giving up their hopes of a follow on. In fact their suspicions were targetted at the colonel. Afterwards the colonel's driver and his assistant were taken into custody and questioned. Finally the driver was not able to cover up the truth. As such he divulged everything that took place on that particular day, to the police. The police officers who diverted their attention once again to the colonel began interrogating him after that. The colonel ultimately felt that he was unable to scrape through in that instance. As a result he began to unravel all necessary information in the presence of the police officers.

According to the suspect-colonel's information the team of divers of the Navy were able to locate the pistol tossed away into the Diyawanna Oya in the vicinity of the Japan Friendship Bridge. When examining the pistol concerned it was found that three particular initials were engraved on it in Tamil. As such the police are of the view that this pistol was one utilised by the LTTE Organisation. An examination is being carried out to determine as to whether it was used in previous crimes.

Just two days after the pistol with which the victim was shot at was recovered, which was on the 1st, according to information secured from a daughter of the colonel it was revealed that the colonel was in possession of two pistols. Later the police conducted investigations about it once more. In that instance the colonel had admitted that the said pistol too he had thrown into Diyawanna Oya near the Japan Friendship Bridge. Under these circumstances the team of divers of the Navy once again made a dive into Diyawanna Oya and managed to retrieve the second pistol referred to. This then was a micro-type pistol and at the moment of recovery the pistol comprised of 4 bullets inside it.

Lieutenant Colonel Netthasingha Aarachchilage Kumara Netthasingha who was arrested on suspicion of having attempted to shoot his wife with a weapon was expected to be produced in courts on the 31st of last month. On that occasion the Kaduwela Magistrate issued instructions that he be kept under remand till next 9th. As soon as this incident came to light the Army Commander suspended the colonel from his duties and a separate inquiry has been launched by the Army Police.

Information -- Gayan Samarasingha (Divaina)