Police on Tuesday took a suspect into custody over the murder of Rajdai Persaud whose body was discovered in a Zeelugt trench a short distance from her home.
A police source, told this newspaper late Tuesday night that the suspect was taken into custody but Stabroek News was unable to contact relevant police officials about whether charges will be instituted.
The body of the 26-year-old woman was fished out of a trench at Silk Cotton Dam, Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) at approximately 6.30 am on November 9. Marks of violence were visible around the neck and other areas of Persaud’s body. A post-mortem examination later revealed the woman died as a result of compression to her neck and blunt trauma.
Persaud, of Lot 14 Zeelugt, had left her home to visit her mother on the afternoon of November 7. The woman’s mother, who lives a short distance away in the Zeelugt Squatting area, was not at home that afternoon. She never returned to the aunt’s home where she lived.
Relatives had expressed disbelief at “the brutal slaying” of Persaud. “She din have to die in dis cruel and brutal manner,” her aunt Chabadie Azad had lamented. The deceased, relatives also reported, was mentally challenged.
She was found fully clothed in the trench but her underwear was pulled down to her knees which led relatives to believe she was raped.
A family friend who was on his way to work in the cane fields made the discovery. The woman was described by her relatives as an “easy-going and fun loving person who was very helpful.”
Persaud’s sister Kowsilla Sukhdeo told Stabroek News late yesterday afternoon that relatives have not been able to do “police runnings” as yet because they were still preparing for rituals to be conducted on her sister’s behalf.
“We are Hindus,” Sukhdeo said, “and we still got certain things we got to do for she after the funeral… right now things in confusion. We hear that the police arrest somebody but we na sure.”
Sukhdeo, still shocked at her sister’s “horrible” death, believes her assailant was someone who knew about her mental condition. Since her sister’s death, Sukhdeo further said, no one reported seeing her sister between the afternoon of November 7 and the morning of November 9 when her body was discovered.
“I find it very strange,” Sukhdeo said, “because is right in de area my sister walk and I don’t know how come nobody ain’t see she… Is real bad what happen to she because it had to be somebody that know she got a mental problem and they attack she.”
If charges are not instituted today then the suspect will most likely be released since the 72 hours, which police are allowed to keep persons in custody without charging them, would have elapsed.