The disc jockey and the taxi driver stood emotionless in the dock at the Mahaicony Magistrate’s Court yesterday after they were further remanded to prison for allegedly clubbing a US-based nurse to death. The beginning of the preliminary inquiry into the murder has been set for February 11.
DJ Amar “Buddy” Narine, 20, and taxi driver Devindra “Buoy” Sukhdeo also 20, both of Belmonte, Mahaica were first charged with the offence on Friday at the Vigilance Court.
It is alleged that between January 15 and 16 the men murdered 49-year-old Abdool Hackeem Khan, a nurse from Queens, New York.
Narine’s attorney, Vic Puran was not present at court yesterday. But attorney-at-law, Sandil Kissoon, who is representing Sukhdeo, made a request for the copies of the statements from the men whom he said were charged on the same jacket. Police Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent Errol Watts objected, saying the matter was indictable and the file had to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice first.
The lawyer responded that the newspapers received information, which they published, that the men confessed to the crime, and questioned why then the statements could not be made available. Kissoon further said that his client’s family has been stigmatised.
He also asked that Sukhdeo’s vehicle, which is in police custody, be released to the agent, as it has not yet been paid for. The prosecutor replied that the vehicle was an exhibit and could not be returned at this stage.
The lawyer then said that there should be a fair trial within a reasonable time, adding that the prosecution needed to “examine the exhibit and take the forensic samples as quickly as possible”.]The prosecutor then submitted that the police would not be ready to commence the preliminary inquiry until April. But the lawyer argued that it would not be fair for the accused to wait so long and asked that the matter be fixed for February 11.
After listening to arguments from the defence and the prosecution, Magistrate Sherdell Isaacs, before whom the men made their second appearance, upheld the submissions of the counsel and adjourned the matter to February 11.
