Cambio dealer Totaram Mohotoo‘s business practices and huge unpaid debts likely resulted in the brazen home invasion on Thursday which ended in the brutal killing of him and his wife, Bhagmattie and the setting off of a thunderous explosion and fire which wrecked the home.
The cruelty of the deaths, security sources say, point to a vendetta or pay back for what might have been seen as a betrayal.
The assailants on Thursday ignored a well-monitored dwelling and security-tight neighbourhood when they killed the couple and ignited their house with a home made bomb.
“People owed him millions but he owed people too … he wasn’t the type who spoke about what he did but we all know. He started from nothing and got a break from some of his associates and build up.
Everybody gon say is drugs or he rob somebody but we don’t know because he won’t talk about that… He never say anything but Dolly (Bhagmattie) was worried you know she said he was stressing out that he had debts”, a close member of Totaram’s family told Stabroek News.
The charred remains of Mohotoo called `Beer’ and `Fat man’, 54, and Bhagmattie of Area Q, Turkeyen were found in the bedroom of the upper flat of their home. The home had been destroyed by fire caused by a gas cylinder which was placed in the bedroom. The couple had been burnt beyond recognition and Totaram’s hands were tied behind his back. His wife was lying next to him.
When the relative was questioned as to what “we all know” meant as it pertained to Totaram’s work the relative said “…you are not stupid. Figure it out.”
The relative indicated that they had spoken to Bhagmattie last week and she was querying about some purchases in New York. They said that the woman never gave any indication that she and her husband were in grave danger but mentioned that he was a bit stressed out over some debts he had.
According to the relative the woman just in passing said “things just going wrong after wrong after wrong.” They said that the woman was offered encouragement and had stated that her husband would be okay because he always “bounces back”.
The relative described Totaram as a fun-loving person who loved his family and always was willing to entertain his friends who included many police ranks and officials. “He loved to sport and never greedy like that, anybody can tell you. The police used to go and collect money right there …Dolly used to say its hand wash hand mek it come clean so they didn’t mind”, the relative added.
Overseas family members began coming into the country yesterday in preparation for the couple’s cremation later this week as an autopsy is expected to be conducted on the duo today.
While police up to yesterday said that investigations are ongoing and they were exploring all avenues pertaining to solving this crime, observers have noted the lapses in investigations and the boldfaced coldness of the perpetrators.
It was pointed out that neighbours noted nothing suspicious on Thursday night leading up to the attacks as the Mohotoos were socialites and friends and business associates frequented their home at all hours of the day.
However with tight security measures, including several cameras on buildings, implemented by the residents in the gated community, sources say it is boggling that footage has not brought up any evidence that could lead to possibly solving the crime.
When Stabroek News took a drive through the neighbourhood the varying security mechanisms were evident. On entering the community, there are security cameras on houses on both sides of that street. Further there are security guards at some of the homes.
It was pointed out by a resident that one security service has scheduled times when making checks on its personnel. This resident believes this was observed by the attacker(s) and the time of the killing planned to accommodate these checks.
In addition to the tight security the streets are a humbug for vehicles as they are littered with potholes filled with water given the recent rainfall.
There has also been speculation that the attackers used the back of the property and exited via the entrance of the Cyril Potter College of Education as only a small alley and concrete fence separates the homes from the college.
This newspaper observed that the CPCE stretch was well lit with street lights and would make visible anyone in the compound. However while there is a security hut at the entrance there was no security personnel there yesterday. It is unclear if anyone was stationed there on the night of the killings.
