A man is on trial at the High Court in Berbice for murdering a Bushlot Village, West Coast Ber-bice, couple, in January, 2016, after he pleaded not guilty to the indictment when he appeared in court yesterday.
Neezamudin Rafeek also known as ‘Shazam’, appeared with his lawyer, Mursaline Bacchus, where he pleaded not guilty to murdering Arthur Doodnauth Rajkumar and Diane Chamanlall between January 8, 2016 and January 9, 2016, in the course or furtherance of a burglary.
After Rafeek’s not-guilty plea yesterday, a jury was empanelled after which the trial commenced.
The state’s case is being presented by attorney at law, Abigail Gibbs, while the trial commenced before Justice Sandil Kissoon with Chamanlall’s cousin and a detective testifying first.
On the morning of January 9, 2016, Rajkumar, 81, and Chamanlall, 45, were discovered with gaping wounds about their bodies in pools of blood at their Lot 93 ‘A’ Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice home.
They were taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital, where Rajkumar was pronounced dead on arrival and Chamanlall succumbed while receiving medical attention.
The bandits had chopped the couple multiple times while demanding money but the man and his wife did not hand over anything. A source had told Stabroek News that after the robbers demanded cash, they were told by the couple that they did not have any. One of the men then responded, “How y’all gon’ get shop and don’t have money?”
The men then continuously chopped the couple. As they packed items, the police arrived at the scene and the men scaled the fence and escaped.
Rajkumar’s body had at least 9 chop wounds, ranging from 3 cm to 17 cm in length.
