Suspects in a number of murders this year have gone underground and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum says that investigators are making every effort to apprehend them.
The first sixteen days of 2016 recorded ten murders, some of which have been solved but suspected perpetrators remain on the run in relation to others.
The Crime Chief said yesterday that investigators are currently making earnest efforts to apprehend the suspects as the investigations continue. In an effort to locate them, local ranks have been working with their law enforcement counterparts overseas.
Four murders were recorded on the first day of 2016, three of which have been solved. During the afternoon of the first day of the new year, Mon Repos carpenter Ganesh Ramlakhan was fatally stabbed, allegedly by his cousin during an argument. An autopsy revealed that he died as a result of a single stab wound he sustained to the heart.
The latest information on this case indicates that the suspect is in Suriname.
In the case of Patrick Mohabir, the Corentyne businessman who was shot and chopped during a home invasion on the evening of January 6, a recaptured prison escapee, Neshan Jagmohan was questioned over the murder but there has been no new development in the investigations.
The police had said that the attack on Mohabir and his wife, Shabina Ahmad occurred around 11:30 PM, when two men, armed with a firearm and cutlass, entered their home and held them up. During the attack, Mohabir put up resistance and was shot and chopped by the perpetrators, who escaped with two cell phones and a pair of shoes. He succumbed at the Anamayah Memorial Hospital while receiving medical attention.
Almost two weeks after this incident, Albion resident, Surendra Nauth was fatally stabbed by a recently-freed convict who slashed the tyre of his vehicle. Also stabbed was his brother-in-law, Totaram Bhola who survived the ordeal. During the argument between the two men, the suspect stabbed Nauth to his abdomen with a knife and inflicted a wound to the forehead of Bhola. No arrest was made in this matter since the suspect was not seen after the incident.
The same occurred in another case which was as a result of a domestic dispute.
The victim, Bibi Zabeeda Zamaludeen was discovered dead but the suspect, her husband, Rudolph Williams called “Hook” remains on the run.
Forty-four-year-old, Zamaludeen, also known as ‘Teresa, of Seaview, Stewart-ville, West Coast Demerara was allegedly badly beaten by Williams on January 21. He allegedly grabbed her by the neck and jumped into a trench before proceeding to drag her to the other side of the trench in the bushy area, then lifted her out of the water and placed her in the pump station.
Three other unsolved cases relating to Akeem Culley, Ramroop “Isaacs” Rameshwar and the most recent Caitanya Kishundyal have seen active investigations.
In all three of these cases, suspects were arrested.
Culley, 25, a pork-knocker/mason, was reported missing after masked gunmen took him from his North Sophia home on December 30, last year.
It is believed by the man’s family that he was murdered and dumped in the trench by the gunmen who removed him from the house, where he was staying with his girlfriend. One suspect was arrested but he was released. However, as the investigation stands now, the police are currently looking for two men including a recently convicted prisoner.
The prisoner was sentenced to 20 years in jail for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition after a trial which went on in his absence concluded. He was previously charged for armed robbery, murder and discharging a loaded firearm to prevent a policeman from arresting him.
In relation to sixty-four-year-old, Ramroop Rameshwar of Parika Sea Dam, East Bank Essequibo whose body was found bound and gagged body on February 2, five persons who were arrested were released and another four were detained. It is believed that the man who lived alone was killed for gold jewellery worth $2M that he had in the house.
The most recent killing, that of twenty-one-year-old Caitanya Kishundyal has seen three arrests but these suspects were recently released since the 72 hours detention period expired. Kishundyal died last Friday, some two days after he was shot to the abdomen with pellets by a lone gunman who attacked him as he entered his premises.
The police in a statement issued had said that the attack occurred around 22:00 hours last Wednes-day while Kishundyal was closing the gate. The statement added that he was confronted by a man with a firearm during which a scuffle ensued and he was shot to his abdomen.
