(Trinidad Guardian) Rishi Motilal has appeared in court charged with the murder of his estranged common-law wife and his 14-month-old baby.
The 29-year-old construction worker was denied bail after appearing before Master Shabiki Cazabon in the South Court charged with the murders of his baby girl, Shermaya Jada Motilal, and her mother, 34-year-old Tara Ramsaroop, on October 8.
The mother and daughter were allegedly murdered at a house at Rochard Road, Barrackpore.
Ramsaroop also had an eight-year-old boy but he was in school at the time of the murders. She also had two older children who did not live with her.
An autopsy revealed that baby Shermaya was chopped across her neck while her mother was chopped about her body.
It is alleged that the suspect also burnt a vehicle valued at $45,000 at Ramsubad Road in Barrackpore.
Motilal was arrested sometime after the murders on Tuesday and charged by the police on Thursday on the advice of Deputy DPP Sabrina Jaglal.
He was not called upon to enter a plea to the murder offences or the malicious damage charge.
PC Jaggernauth, who represented the prosecution, said the file comprised 12 statements, but 13 statements were still outstanding.
Master Cazabon ordered that the file be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions by January 10 for a State attorney to be appointed. A sufficiency hearing was tentatively set for October 7. However, the accused is expected to reappear before the court on January 10 to indicate whether he has secured an attorney to represent him.