Nishad Manilka De Fonseka, 20-years-old, a Sri Lankan national who came to Singapore last year to begin his first year studies at SMU, was found hanged inside his hotel room at Hotel Grand Pacific.
He had killed himself after being caught breaching quarantine during his SHN.
His internet history revealed searches for breaches of SHN and two news articles about the consequences.
He left behind notes to his family, apologising and calling the world a cruel place, saying “sorry if I let you down”.
Nishad arrived in Singapore on 1 August 2020 with a female friend and they were both briefed on the requirements of their SHN, which prohibited them from coming into contact with other people.
Nishad would leave his hotel room to go to hers very often, leaving the door ajar with a hanger.
But he was caught when he was locked outside his room and the staff checked the CCTV.
Nishad asked them not to report the matter but the staff said that it was protocol to do so.
He was worried that his parents would be upset and concerned that his studies would be affected.
On 11 April 2020, they then went for a Covid-19 swab test and were asked to submit a statement by SMU to explain their breach.
At about 1.30am, Nishad called his friend to tell her that his mother is not answering his calls, saying that he was afraid SMU would suspend them and how he would fall behind and his scholarship would be revoked.
He said that he couldn’t imagiune how to explain it to his parents.
Nishad told his friend that he wanted to harm himself and she only went to bed after he assured her that he was really fine.
She later woke up and saw multiple messages from Nishan asking her to call him but when she did, there was no response.
She called the hotel reception to check on him and he was found hanging from the ceiling and pronounced dead on 12 August 2020.
State Coroner Kamala Ponnampalam said on 20 April 2021 that Nishad’s death was a deliberate act of suicide, with no found play suspected, and gave her condolences to his family for their loss.
Image source: Hotel Grand Pacific