As the police continue their investigations into the 2012 Double Day Hotel pool murder of Sideek Juman, the High Court yesterday granted the police more time to keep two of the three men who were arrested in custody.
When contacted, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Stabroek News that the police applied for an extension yesterday to further detain the men and were granted an additional 72 hours.
The manager of the hotel located at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, a taxi driver of the hotel and a contractor were arrested by ranks from the Major Crimes Unit on Thursday evening at different locations along the West Coast Demerara.
However, while the manager and the taxi driver remain in custody, Blanhum yesterday said that the contractor was released on substantial bail as the investigation continues.
Juman’s body was fished out of the hotel’s pool on November 19, 2012. At the time of the discovery, there were visible marks of violence about his body and his head was swollen.
A post-mortem examination proved that he died from asphyxiation and that “blunt trauma to head” also contributed significantly to his death.
Police sources had told this newspaper following their arrests that the suspects admitted their involvement in the crime to several individuals and were even heard discussing who would be vulnerable if they were arrested by police.
Juman had gone to the Double Day Hotel on November 18, 2012 and while there had seen a female friend with another man.
As a result, he and the man had an argument, following which the three suspects allegedly beat him until he fell unconscious. They then removed his body to a room at the hotel. However, after realizing that Juman died, they then reportedly dragged his body into the pool to make it appear as though he had drowned.
His relatives were convinced that he was murdered since his personal belongings, including his clothing, his BlackBerry cell phone and his wallet were missing. Juman’s relatives had previously told this newspaper that they believed he was “lured” to the hotel.
He had gone to visit his grandmother at Ruby, also on the East Bank Essequibo, when he received a call to go to the hotel.
Two of Juman’s friends, a man and a woman, both in their early 20s, were initially arrested along with another man but they were all released after being questioned.
