A 49-year-old man was remanded to prison yesterday after he was charged with the murder of truck driver, Pitamber Sharma who was strangled allegedly during a misunderstanding at his workplace last week.
Micheal Sooklall appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge.
The matter was adjourned until April 27th.
Police arrested Sooklall last Friday after a post-mortem examination revealed that Sharma died as a result of manual strangulation.
Sources had told Stabroek News that during questioning he confessed to committing the crime. Sooklall reportedly told detectives that he and Sharma had a misunderstanding over the way he (Sooklall) was performing his duties.
He also said that Sharma threatened to inform their employer which would have likely resulted in Sharma replacing him in the position.
This made Sooklall angry and he allegedly choked Sharma to death after which he dragged his body and threw it into the Mazaruni River.
The lifeless body of Sharma, 69, of La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD) was found floating in the Mazaruni River last Thursday morning. Sharma was employed with BK Quarries, Mazaruni River.
The police in a press release had said that investigations revealed that Sharma reported for work around 14.30hrs last Wednesday and was assigned to a quarters within the compound. He was last seen alive around 18.00hrs.
According to the police, a security guard discovered his body floating in the Mazaruni River around 7.30hrs last Thursday. The police were immediately summoned.
A relative of the dead man, who wished not to be named, had told this newspaper that Sharma left his La Grange home around 11 am last Wednesday to travel to Mazaruni for work.
The woman said Sharma’s eldest sister last spoke with him later that evening when he called to inform her that he had arrived safely.
The family learnt of his death the following morning.
The woman said the family suspected foul play from the inception and when they went to identify Sharma’s remains, his body bore several marks of violence and there was a wound to his head.
“When we went and identify the body, we see blood leaking out from his head and marks on his skin. The police who identified him said there were no marks of violence on him but we saw it all…We saw all sorts of bruises and marks on his foot. Blue and black mark on his arms and burst to his head,” the woman explained.
She related that the murder has left the family puzzled for answers and they are eager to know what might have led to it. “The workplace gave us no form of satisfaction…We are looking for answers. We are begging for justice….He would never go on the road and trouble nobody and we are unaware of any type of problems that he may have had with anyone and highly doubt it,” the relative said.
Family members of Sharma yesterday staged a protest outside the court demanding justice.
They carried placards which read “No justice, no peace. Justice for Pitamber Sharma. Put the killer behind bars for life!” and “we need justice. He did not deserve any of it”.
