The police have arrested two men for questioning in connection with the murder of Dhroowah Ramnauth, the elderly shopkeeper whose bound and gagged body was discovered at his Triumph, East Coast Demerara home on Friday afternoon following a suspected robbery.
Commander of ‘C’ Division Calvin Brutus yesterday told Sunday Stabroek that based on information received, the two men were arrested on Friday evening.
They remained in custody up to late yesterday afternoon.
The lifeless body of Ramnauth, popularly known as ‘Uncle Drup,’ 88, of Lot 119 Surat Drive, Triumph was discovered in the kitchen of his two-storey house sometime between 3 pm and 5 pm on Friday by neighbour.
There was a wound to the right side of his head and a ‘masala brick,’ which is believed to have been used to strike Ramnauth, was found next to his body.
His hands were also tied behind his back and his mouth was tied with a rag.
The upper flat of the house and his shop on the bottom flat were ransacked.
Residents recalled seeing Ramnauth alive on Friday morning, when he opened his shop as per normal.
Neighbours said it was usual for him to close his shop at midday and reopen at 3 pm every day.
Sachin Singh, the neighbour who made the discovery, recounted that he and a worker were loading a truck in his yard when he called out for Ramnauth but he got no answer.
As a result, he said he ventured over to Ramnauth’s house.
“…Meh try calling Uncle Drup but me ain’t get no response from he. So, after he ain’t respond, I went across. I just call he and didn’t get no response. So, after that me decide fuh jump over the fence. After dah me watch in the shop, me see the shop ransacked and when I watch in the kitchen, I see he tie up and lay down on the ground,” Singh had related.
Baliram Shivdas, the dead man’s nephew, had told this newspaper that Ramnauth was attacked about a year ago.
Shivdas said in that attack, bandits broke into Ramnauth’s house and tied him up before carting off an undisclosed amount of valuables.
Ramnauth lived alone.
An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted on his remains tomorrow.
