Update: C.D. Wickramarathne was frustrated due to the 'harassment' complaint filed by his daughter-in-law.

No one would have imagined that a giant who led the entire country in upholding law and order, commanding police battalions, would ultimately fall victim to an unbearable personal pain that arose from within the four walls of his own home.

Former Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramaratne, who played a prominent role in the history of the Sri Lanka Police, committed suicide by shooting himself at his private residence in Thalahena, Malabe, this morning (17). Police sources confirm that Mr. Wickramaratne, who was 63 years old at the time of his death, shot himself in the chest with his personal security officer's firearm. Although family members, who acted immediately after this unexpected tragedy occurred around 6:15 AM today, rushed him to the Eastern Colombo Hospital, he had already passed away upon admission.

It has now been revealed that the former IGP was driven to this unfortunate decision by severe distress and mental pressure that recently emerged within his family. The root of the problem was a divorce case filed by Mr. Wickramaratne's son's wife, claiming she was in an intimate relationship with another person and seeking separation from the marriage. Further aggravating the situation, the daughter-in-law had also lodged a complaint with the Police Children and Women's Bureau, alleging that she had been subjected to domestic violence.

The manner in which the Sri Lanka Police Department, where he held the highest office with great dignity for many years, handled an internal family problem of his own, and the investigations conducted by the Children and Women's Bureau, caused Mr. Wickramaratne immense distress. He recently expressed to several close associates that he was extremely saddened by how these investigations were being carried out. Unable to bear this family dispute and the resulting social disgrace he faced in the twilight of his life, he was deeply resentful.

On the morning the tragedy occurred, Mr. Wickramaratne, as was his custom, came out of the house for his fitness exercises and sat on a chair. There, he called his personal security officer and asked for his pistol, saying, "Bring the weapon, I need to see if it's new or old." Subsequently, the former IGP sent the security officer inside the house to fetch a bottle of water, and as soon as the officer was out of sight, he aimed the firearm at his chest and pulled the trigger.

Upon learning of the incident, Kaduwela Magistrate Mr. Aruna Indrajith Buddadasa and current IGP Mr. Priyantha Weerasuriya visited the crime scene this afternoon and conducted field inspections. Two special police teams have now been deployed to conduct extensive investigations to uncover the personal background behind this death and the full details of the incident.

Mr. C.D. Wickramaratne's farewell reminds us how helpless even those who commanded a nation's respect with the majesty of their uniform can be in the face of silent storms brewing within their own homes.