The body of an elderly woman was found bound and gagged in her bed at River View Squatting Area, Mahaica early yesterday morning following a suspected robbery.
The woman, Chandroutie Persaud, 68, called ‘Aunty,’ was discovered dead by her husband, who lived with her. The man who sleeps in a separate room, told relatives that he did not hear any strange noise during the night or anything that gave him a clue that someone was in the house. The man was questioned by police but later released.
According to a police statement, two men have been arrested.
Persaud’s body was found in her home at about 5.30 am, according to the police, who said her hands were tied behind her back and her mouth was gagged. An undisclosed amount of cash was reported missing from the home, police added.
Stabroek News was told that the couple ran a small shop, which is located in front the house.
A visit to the house yesterday found it tightly secured with padlocks.
Persaud’s neighbour, Mahadeo (only name given), told this newspaper that he last saw her about 8 pm on Friday. He said it was the usual time when they closed the shop each day. He added that he woke up yesterday morning and went to the bottom flat of his house to perform morning chores when he was called by Persaud’s husband, who told him, “Bai come! Come see what they did Aunty.”
Mahadeo said he then proceeded to the scene and into Persaud’s bedroom, where he saw the woman’s lifeless body on the bed. He also explained that a pink-coloured bedsheet was tied around her neck. Mahadeo related that Persaud was a very nice and quiet person who was well known to the community although she hardly ever stepped a foot out of her yard regularly.
The eldest of the woman’s three children, Omesh Persaud, said that he was alerted to the tragedy by his sister and when he went to the home he saw his mother on her bed half naked lying on the side. He said that while there were no marks of violence on his mother’s body, a piece of cloth was stuffed in her mouth and a sheet which she normally put to her ears to sleep was tied around her neck.
Omesh said he was told that his mother normally stored her money in several boxes in her room. He also said that in addition to the money being missing, other valuables, including items from the shop, were taken.
The grieving man, who said his mother had a stroke four years ago, was puzzled as to why someone would want to take her life in such a manner. He indicated that her murder seemed to be well planned as there is evidence that whoever did it apparently knew her daily schedule and where she stored her money.
