A Canadian Tamil , Suren Sivananthan from Toronto , had travelled thousands of miles to British town of Milton Keynes , said to be with the woman of his dreams, became victim of murder by local men.
Sri Lankan-born Suren, 32, died just days after he arrived in the city to visit his girlfriend , whom he loved over long distance love. His body was found near shops at Great Linford’s St Leger Drive early on Saturday morning (January 21).
It is understood a call was made to local police to report concerns for Suren’s safety some 16 hours before he died and Thames Valley police seems to have failed to act on the call. The tragedy has devastated the city’s Tamil community, who have paid tribute to the “fine, upstanding young man.” They say Suren had travelled from Canada specifically to visit his girlfriend, who is said to have been married previously. Suren lived in Canada and had taken time off from his job to fly to Milton Keynes.
Unusually, police conducting the murder investigation have already referred themselves to IPCC for scrutiny.Thames Valley Police said Gnanachandran Balachandran, 37 of The Fleet, Springfield, Kiroraj Yogarajah, 30 from Dunthorne Way, Grange Farm, Prashanth Thevarasa, who’s 23, from Downs Barn 17-year-old boy from Croydon have been charged with the murder of a Canadian man.
Sinthuja Suresh gave her big brother a ride to Pearson Airport shortly before the new year. It would be the last time they saw each other. Suresh said her family is distraught, and that British authorities have provided little information.
“He came all the way from Canada to there, not to die,” she told CBC Toronto. “We still don’t know what really happened to him.”
“We saw the news. They found a body. But what really happened to him?”
According to Suresh, Sivananthan travelled to Germany to visit their younger sister, who recently had a baby. He left for the trip on Dec. 30 along with their parents, she said. He later travelled to London, England to visit friends, and was due back in Germany before returning to Toronto with his parents early next week, she said. “He was supposed to come back with them but he’s not coming back,” Suresh said. “He was a wonderful brother. He was a wonderful uncle. He would never hurt a fly.” Suresh is struggling to tell her young children what happened.
“My son is asking: ‘Where’s my uncle? What happened to him? Why are you putting his picture like this, mommy?'”
“I still didn’t tell my kids what happened to him; that they’ll never see their uncle again.”
Sivananthan played for several cricket teams in the Markham Toronto Cricket League since 2009, the league said.
“We are saddened to lose a great human being in such tragedy,” a spokesperson for the league told CBC Toronto in an email.
“He is a quiet gentleman in the grounds and a passionate cricketer. His love for cricket was respected by all of the members in our league.”
Suresh said funeral arrangements will be made after her parents and sister arrive in Toronto.
“I never thought in my life I would plan my brother’s funeral.”
Suren’s Facebook page is visited by hundreds who paid tribute to the cricketer of Toronto
