A 49-year-old mother of two was chopped to death allegedly by her partner during a domestic dispute yesterday afternoon at their Corriverton, Berbice home.
Dead is Indrawattie Somwar, known as “Sharda,” who was reported to have been a victim of constant abuse at the hands of the man.
Her husband, Navindra Bandu, 29, called “Birdie,” was arrested and taken to the Springlands Police Station.
Bandu was charged last year with unlawfully wounding Somwar and was placed on bail. The matter is reportedly still before the court.
The fatal encounter occurred around 4.30pm yesterday at the couple’s Lot 22 Princetown, Corriverton, Berbice home, which they shared with two children.
Stabroek News was told that Bandu was consuming alcohol throughout the day and only returned home in the afternoon. His altercation with Somwar started after he requested some food, which he subsequently hit out of her hands.
As a result, she told him about his behaviour and requested that he leave the house but he became angry and went into the kitchen area, where he allegedly armed himself with a cutlass and dealt her two chops to her head. She attempted to escape but collapsed in front of their yard.
A resident, who asked not to be named, said she was sitting on her veranda when she heard Somwar’s loud screams. “I hear the scream but I didn’t take it fuh nothing because I know how it does got them children playing around the area and its normal,” the woman explained.
She said it was not until she saw her neighbours run out and inform her that Somwar was chopped that she rushed to the scene. Upon arrival there, she said she saw Somwar lying in front of the entrance to her home bleeding profusely with chop wounds about her body.
“If you see this woman (Somwar) and he (Bandu) just down right under the house and fold he hands and watch she bleeding right there,” the woman stated.
She said that having lived in the area for a number of years, she was aware that Somwar was a victim of constant abuse. She said, “He does beat she a lot, one time he did even bore she up and I think he went to jail and come out.”
Somwar’s body is currently at the Skeldon Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.
For years, Guyana has grappled with the killing of women by the male partners who would have frequently abused them.
The murder occurred as the world observed International Women’s Day yesterday under the theme “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up For Gender Equality.”
