Police believe that the perpetrators responsible for the death of a West Coast Berbice pensioner may have been known to the woman.
The body of Bhagwandai Deonarine, also known as ‘Deeda’, 69, of Plantation Hope, West Coast Berbice, was discovered on fire in her backyard on Sunday evening around 8 pm. A large portion of Deonarine’s yard was also discovered destroyed by the fire.
On Monday, the police had indicated that two men were brought in for questioning, however, one was released. The other was identified as a livestock and cattle farmer, of Plantation Rising Sun, West Coast Berbice, who reports suggest would often allow his cattle to graze on the deceased woman’s estate land.
One of the theories being pursued by the police, is that the murder was fueled by the perpetrators’ greed for money. A source told Stabroek News, that while close relatives have said that the woman would always keep money in a drawer in her house, investigators found the drawer empty.
The police believe that Deonarine was lured to open her door by someone known to her, as the house was not broken into. A senior police source yesterday told Stabroek News that they believe the woman was “chipping greens” when she was visited by her attackers.
The source said that is it suspected that after Deonarine had opened the door, it was then that a second perpetrator, whom the woman may have not been getting along with or would not have easily opened her doors to, may have entered.
Added to this, the source noted, the house was not ransacked, which also leaves the impression that the perpetrators may have known exactly where the money was located.
The source stressed that they strongly believe that more than one person carried out the attack on the pensioner. He said they believe that Deonarine was murdered in the house, after which her body was taken to the backyard and set alight.
Sale of Estate Land
Stabroek News has confirmed that a year ago, Deonarine began the process of selling her estate land, close to 70 acres of property, which she was relinquishing at a cost of $30 million.
Sources told Stabroek News that the buyer had already paid the woman through cheque a total of $26 million, awaiting the processing of the papers to pay the remaining $4 million.
This newspaper has confirmed that the woman did not sell the house nor land she resided on, but rather, her estate lands, which once belonged to her deceased husband.
Recently, the woman reportedly withdrew $10 million and placed it into a separate joint account with a close relative of hers who is now overseas. Sources said the close relative is friends with a male neighbour, who would often verbally abuse and threaten the woman. Investigators had initially held the neighbour for questioning, but he had claimed that he and Deonarine were “close and used to live good”, the source yesterday said.
However, Stabroek News was told that a confrontation was held between the neighbour and Deonarine’s sister on Monday evening, during which the sister told the neighbour that what he had told the police was nothing but a lie.
