-had reported earlier attack to police but nothing was done
-lived in fear and seclusion
A Corentyne woman was yesterday stabbed to death after being rammed by a car and the man she separated from two months was identified as the attacker and is on the run.
Cindy Ramchandar, of Lot 134, Number 47 Village, Corentyne, was stabbed several times about her body, investigators told Stabroek News yesterday. Following the 8 am attack, the woman was rushed to the Skeldon Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Eyewitnesses yesterday positively identified the suspect to be her ex-husband, Suraj Ganpat of Cumberland Village, East Canje Berbice. As of yesterday afternoon, police were still on the hunt for the suspect and had recovered his vehicle in East Canje, Berbice.
The deceased’s aunt, Anita Thirbhowan, yesterday said that the couple was married one year ago and were living at the suspect’s parents’ house in East Canje. However, two months ago, Ramchandar decided to separate from the man after she informed her mother that she was facing hard times and abuse at the hands of her husband.
Thirbhowan relayed that Ramchandar’s mother, who resides overseas, supported her daughter to move out from her in-laws and return to the family house in Number 47 Village, Corentyne to stay with her younger sister.
The woman relayed that initially, Ramchandar was not very fearful of the man until he allegedly launched his first knife attack two months ago causing her to bar them with her hand and leaving her with cuts.
According to the woman, several days after Ramchandar left the suspect, he visited the Corentyne area where he imbibed with Ramchandar’s cousin.
Stabroek News was told that that same evening the cousin’s child, 4, was having a sleepover with Ramchandar and her sister. “And them girls don’t open up for nothing but me hear the cousin call them and tell them how he buy ice cream for he daughter and he bringing it and them open up and then is when she see Suraj there and he rush in with the knife and she bar with she hand but he cut up she hand all over.”
Following that incident, the woman filed a report at the Number 51 Police Station but according to relatives the man was never arrested “and he gone a ship to work” as he would normally do.
According to information gathered, the suspect only returned from working on the “ship” about three days ago.
Stabroek News was told that on Sunday evening the same cousin’s daughter spent the night with Ramchandar and her sister. Yesterday morning the male cousin phoned the women requesting that one of them drop his daughter home since he and his wife wanted to take her to Rose Hall Town to shop for school supplies.
As such, Ramchandar decided that she would use their electrical scooter to drop the child off from their house located through a cross street to her cousin’s house located on the main road in Number 47 Village, Corentyne.
As the woman exited the street and approached her cousin’s house it was then that she was attacked.
According to eyewitnesses, Ramchandar took the child from the scooter after which the suspect used his car which was initially parked in front of the health centre located next door to her cousin’s house, to drive into her – hitting her to the ground.
After she fell to the ground, he exited the car and allegedly used the knife he had in his possession to deal here several stabs about her body. The entire incident was witnessed by the child and her mother.
A resident told Stabroek News that she heard screams and upon looking out she saw Ramchandar on the cousin’s bridge bleeding profusely. “This thing happen so fast… We barely hear someone screaming and be time we run out we see the girl get stab and lay down deh.”
An emotional Thirbhowan yesterday could not come to terms with the fact that Ramchandar had been murdered as she continuously stressed that the young woman took all necessary security precautions after ending the relationship.
“She don’t go nowhere, nowhere, and if she got to go buy anything someone got to go with her… Watch me a live right a back deh and she doesn’t come because she mommy say them frighten if anything happen to she.”
According to the woman, the last time she saw her niece was on Sunday when she cajoled Ramchandar and her sister to come over by her where they cooked and hung out for a bit.
“Behind them mother back me tell them ayo come over and we cook and we deh whole day because me say them na go anywhere and them father from Canje and he come up too and all a we eat and deh and then he kiss them and left to go home”, the aunt said.
The woman further explained that Ramchandar had confided in her mother that her husband was “too mean” throughout their marriage. The aunt said, “She meet very tough times with this bai and he parents them. She does complain her mother and she mother bring she home before them do anything.”
The aunt also expressed her shock that some relatives might have disclosed the young woman’s exact location to the suspect. “Somebody had to tell him that she gonna drop this child on the road there because he been a wait at the health centre and he knock she off the bike and stab she. She don’t go nowhere, he can’t meet from Canje so fast. He had to come and wait there and when she get the call to take the child out he wait right there for she”, the emotional woman said.
Relatives described Ramchandar as a quiet and helpful person. “She very quiet, very quiet. If she talk you can hardly hear and he kill meh niece. Them two (sisters) alone a deh and a sleep. Them a lock up in here and deh whole day, them na go nowhere.”
