The decomposing body of a woman, suspected to have been murdered, was discovered yesterday morning in the canal near the sluice at Betsy Ground, East Canje and her former partner has been taken into custody.
Reports are that the woman, Jairool ‘Chico’ Rohoman, 42, who worked in the “weeding gang” at the Rose Hall Estate, had been missing since Sunday and a search was launched to find her.
The woman’s body bore a chop on her chin and burns on her back, hand and other parts of her body. One of her eyes was also bulging out. Jairool’s long hair had been partly shaven and used to tie both her legs together. A canvas sling was also tied around her waist and legs.
Her brother, Assim Rohoman told Stabroek News that on Monday evening persons who were coming out of the Canje Creek told him that they spotted a body floating in the water. He said they informed the police and officers accompanied them on a search early yesterday morning.
She left home wearing a pair of black pants and a black top and when her body was fished out of the canal it was clad in a pair of short brown tights and the black top.
Her brother said Jairool was living at the husband’s home at Gangaram with their 16-year-old son Kevin Shivkumar and another from a previous marriage, Ifram Rohoman, 19. She moved out of the house three months ago with her sons but would normally visit her husband, who is a watchman at the Rose Hall estate, to assist him with cooking and other household chores. Assim said the husband, Megnauth Shivkumar, 59, would constantly beg her to return home and while she would make empty promises to him she would tell relatives she would not go back because “me know wah me does pass through.”
Around 3:30 pm when Jairool did not return home, Kevin called his father to inquire about her whereabouts. Assim said the man responded that he gave her $4,000 and she left since 12:30 pm “to go to Babu John” for the memorial service for late former Presidents Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Mrs. Janet Jagan. Later that night, after she still did not return, relatives became worried and sent the boy to his father’s home to check. But the man insisted that the woman was not there. They said Kevin would normally go in the house but when he visited that night his father did not open the door to let him in. He even told Kevin that he could confirm with the neighbours that she had left. The neighbours later told relatives that she called out to them while going in but they did not see her leave.
Meanwhile the woman’s daughter, 21-year-old Wafeeza Rampersaud, who lives in New Amsterdam, said she learnt her mother was missing on Monday. Later that night, she said her brothers called to say that a body suspected to be hers was spotted in the Canje Creek and yesterday morning her worst fears were confirmed. Wafeeza said her mother had been together with the man for 17 years and recalled that during that time she suffered constant abuse. She said her stepfather used to “beat she and run she with cutlass.” She said the man also used to “lock we out and we had to sleep under the house.” In some instances, they hid in the bushes behind the house to escape the abuse.
Wafeeza, who eloped with her husband while still attending school at age 15, said too that her mother reported the abuse to the police on a few occasions but would tell the police to just warn him. He had reportedly threatened to kill her if he was locked up.
