The couple involved in the recent Katong hotel murder were apparently tourists from a country in South Asia.
They had just arrived in Singapore when a conflict supposedly broke out between Eshan Tharaka Koottage, 30, and his 32-year-old wife. Eshan, a Sri Lankan national, allegedly killed his wife with a knife during the argument.
He then got changed, left the hotel room, and turned himself in at a nearby police station.
Eshan has been charged with murdering his wife on Monday (11 Sep).
According to Lianhe Zaobao, the incident occurred in a room on the ninth storey of Holiday Inn Express Singapore Katong on Saturday (9 Sep) at around 5pm.
When reporters arrived at the scene at around 8.30pm, there were already at least seven police cars outside the hotel.
Police officers and plainclothes investigators were also going in and out of the establishment, and the atmosphere was palpably tense.
As the incident happened in the confines of a hotel room, other people at the establishment were not aware of it. It was only when the police arrived that the news spread.
The hotel lobby was also relatively calm, per Zaobao. Besides police officers and investigators, only hotel guests are allowed upstairs.
At around 10.30pm, a black police lorry drove into the hotel’s loading bay. Roughly 15 minutes later, it drove away with the body.
The police confirmed that same evening that a 30-year-old man turned himself in at the Marine Parade Neighbourhood Police Centre at 5.05pm.
He claimed to have murdered his wife in a hotel room along East Coast Road.
Investigators later found a blood-stained knife in the hotel room which they believe to be the murder weapon.
A representative of the hotel told the media that they were unable to disclose much as investigations are still ongoing.
Hotel management has relocated guests staying on the ninth storey to better facilitate investigations.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Eshan was charged in the State Courts via a video call on Monday (11 Sep).
He submitted a request to contact the Sri Lankan High Commission to engage a lawyer. However, he was not allowed to communicate with anyone at the moment.
He’s set to return to court on 18 Sep.
Eshan faces the death penalty if he’s found guilty.
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Featured image adapted from Lianhe Zaobao and Holiday Inn Express Singapore Katong.
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