On 10 May 2020, Surajsrikan Diwakar Mani Tripathi, aged 20 then, stabbed and slashed Mr Tay Rui Hao near a Punggol Field Road bus stop at 11:08pm.
The court heard that 10 May was a significant date for the perpetrator.
On 10 May 1999, his father had left his mother while she was pregnant with him, two months into their arranged marriage.
Surajsrikan was conscripted for national service on 10 May 2018, but he was subsequently discharged in October of the same year when he destroyed communications equipment with a hammer.
The “Senseless” Killing
On the night of the killing, Surajsrikan had gone out for a run, taking a foldable knife and wet wipe with him.
As Surajsrikan was jogging, he fell near bus stop number 65559 in Punggol Field Road and paced around for five to 10 minutes to cool off his anger.
Evidently, it did not work as he unfolded his Singapore Army-issued Victorinox Trailmaster knife and chased after Mr Tay when he ran past him at 11:08pm.
Surajsrikan stabbed Mr Tay in the back first, forcing him to roll forward.
While Mr Tay tried to sit up, Surajsrikan repeatedly slashed his arm, chest, and abdomen.
Afterwards, Surajsrikan sheathed his knife and wiped his hands with the wet wipe.
Bleeding, Mr Tay called 995 and said, “I’ve been stabbed many times.”
He was brought to Sengkang General Hospital, but he passed away from his injuries later.
According to the autopsy, Mr Tay died from the slash wound on his right forearm as it cut into a main artery, and a stab wound in his chest which collapsed his lung.
Meanwhile, Surajsrikan continued to wander around the neighbourhood for the next one-and-a-half hours, then he disposed of the wet wipe before returning home at around 12:30am.
The Arrest
The assailant was identified and traced through police surveillance camera recordings, which showed Surajsrikan strolling around the neighbourhood with the knife in his hand.
He was arrested in his house on 16 May, and the murder weapon was found in bedroom cardboard, clean after he washed it with hand soap.
Mr Tay’s blood was found on Surajsrikan’s shoes as well.
The Verdict
In the case of murder with the intention of causing a fatal injury, the convicted will either be served the death penalty or life imprisonment and caning.
The prosecution sought 24 strokes of the cane and did not object to life imprisonment.
On the hand, the defence pleaded for a sentence with no caning involved.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Chong noted that the accused associated 10 May with bad memories, which in turn, caused him to feel “frustrated and angry” the day.
Nevertheless, the prosecution described the attack on Mr Tay as a “senseless” killing.
A psychiatric assessment found that Surajsrikan had severe social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and dyscalculia, which is a learning disability in mathematics.
It is believed that these mental disorders had a “crippling effect” on his life.
On Thursday (15 Sep), the High Court sentenced Surajsrikan to life imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty.
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Featured Image: Lianhe Zaobao & Facebook
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