-relatives of dead woman in shock
Local grass track racer Dwarka Gangadin, who was accused of murdering his wife Bridgette in 2010, was on Tuesday freed after the Director of Public Prosecu-tions (DPP) reviewed the evidence in the case and this development has left the woman’s relatives shocked.
Shortly after his release, Gangadin visited the woman’s relatives and while professing his innocence said that he has forgiven them for turning against him.
Just before his release, he had been committed to the High Court for a second time by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus. The DPP had reopened the preliminary inquiry after his family through attorney at law Glenn Hanoman said that they were concerned at the way the case turned out.
Stabroek News was unable to speak with the DPP as according to her secretary she was at a meeting.
Hanoman in an invited comment yesterday said that he was not initially aware of the release of the man. He explained that the reopening of the case was for certain evidence to be taken including some from the Trinidadian pathologist Dr. Hubert Daisley. However, he said, despite the best efforts of the prosecution they were unable to produce Dr. Daisley.
Daisley had given his evidence-in-chief during the first PI but he never returned to be cross-examined, Hanoman said, adding that he was also unavailable to tender several important documents.
As a result of his absence, the prosecution was constrained to close their case, Hanoman said, noting that thereafter the magistrate recommitted Gangadin to trial even through no new evidence was taken.
After the second committal, he said the evidence was reviewed by the DPP, in keeping with the standard practice and she then entered an nolle prosequi (a non prosecution), the effect of which resulted in Gangadin being released.
Distraught
A distraught Punarbattie Bharrat said that she leaves everything in the hands of God. She said that she jumped when she saw Gangadin appear at her home around 1 pm on Tuesday. She explained that he told her that he had been freed.
The woman said that he kept telling her that he did not kill her daughter and that she was the one who jumped out of the truck. She said that he subsequently went to all her relatives professing his innocence.
“God is the judge. He will judge him so let him enjoy his life”, she said.
Heeralall Sookdeo, Bridgette’s uncle who was instrumental in ensuring that Dr. Daisley travelled to Guyana to conduct an independent post- mortem examination, said yesterday that he will be reviewing all legal options to ensure that he gets justice. He said that he was unaware that the case had been reopened at the level of the Magistrate’s Court. “No one called us to say anything. He just show up at the mother house”, he said noting that the release has left him in shock.
“Up to now I can’t even ketch mehself”, he stressed.
On May 2, 2010, Bridgette’s mangled remains were discovered on the Vigilance Public Road, a short distance from the entrance of the police station. Her body had suspected marks of violence and the police initially said they were treating the woman’s death as a murder.
Relatives had reported that Bridgette, age 29, and her husband then age 34, had left their Lusignan home the night before and travelled to Enterprise where they were expected to go shrimp-catching with some friends. However, the trip was aborted and the couple left and it was believed that they were heading home. About an hour later the husband returned to the Enterprise home without his wife and when questioned about her he did not answer. The police were contacted and he was arrested.
Gangadin had reportedly told investigators that his wife jumped out of the truck and he accidentally ran over her head. Government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh subsequently concluded that it was crushing injuries to the head caused by a wheel and a fractured skull that had caused her death.
However Bridgette’s relatives were not satisfied with the results and hired Dr. Daisley to do a second autopsy. The report that he submitted to the police said among other things that the woman had been strangled.
