-money, jewellery taken
By Subhana Shiwmangal
Two persons have been held for questioning as police investigate the murder of a 64-year-old housewife at her Lot 1118 Belle West, West Bank Demerara residence.
Dead is Parbhudai Boodhram called ‘Renie’.
The police said that she was restrained with plastic cable zip ties and had suffered blows to her face and body.
The incident occurred between 20.00 hours on Friday and 08.00 hours on Saturday and was perpetrated by person(s) unknown.
Enquiries revealed that the victim resided with her husband, Anthony Alphonso Boodhram, called Tony, a 63-year-old tailor. The woman would visit her husband daily at his tailor shop located in Georgetown, to assist him with work, and on completion, she would return home leaving him at the shop where, from time to time, he would stay overnight depending on the volume of work.
On Friday at about 10.00 hours, Parbhudai left home and went to her husband’s tailor shop where she assisted him for the day and thereafter, left for her residence in Belle West. Before arriving home, the woman stopped at a shop in the area where she purchased several grocery items and was escorted home by the shop owner who is her friend.
When the woman arrived home, the shop owner watched as she entered the yard and then drove away. It is suspected that the perpetrator(s) were hiding in the yard and managed to accost the woman as she was about to enter her home since there was no sign of forced entry, the release stated.
Whilst in the home, they restrained Boodhram with plastic zip ties and struck her several times about her face and her body. The suspect(s) ransacked the house then escaped. The victim’s purse was found to be missing along with her jewellery and US$4,000.
Her husband told the Stabroek News yesterday that after his wife left his business place on Regent Street at around 18.30 hours, he called her at about 05.00 hours on Saturday and all his calls went unanswered. He then contacted a tenant who rents his daughter’s place located across the road and asked him to check on his wife since she wasn’t answering his calls.
Anthony said that he was told by the man that he sent his wife over to his home to check and the gate to the house was locked. After the man’s wife called out for Parbhudai and didn’t get any response, she called out for a neighbour who suggested she climb over the fence which she did. She observed the door and grill to the kitchen area ajar and when she pushed open the door, she saw Parbhudai lying on the ground in the kitchen area.
At the discovery, the neighbour immediately called Anthony. “…Toney like something bad happened. Renie lie down on the ground.” Anthony added, “The moment I heard Renie down on the ground I say somebody come in and kill she.” He said he can’t say who would want to do something like that but noted that on Monday and Tuesday, his wife was at home because she had a painter who helped her wash and paint the home including, the inside of the upper flat since she was preparing to do a religious function for her birthday on February 16.
He said that the shop owner knows his wife and when he dropped her home, he made sure she locked the gate. Anthony believes that the attacker was in the bathroom hiding since a check of the other entrance at the back of their home where the fowl and duck pen is located, showed that the mesh was cut. He added, “They bore the pen and came in through the back.” The man noted that the back entrance is inaccessible since persons will have to cross a trench to come in. He also believes that the attacker may have tracked his wife on more than one occasion, and waited inside the bathroom which is located in the yard because there were traces of mud and grass that the suspects brought in from the back entrance. The tailor said that so far, the police have the painter and another person in custody for questioning.
Anthony also disclosed that it is believed that his wife was strangled. He added that the perpetrators took US and Guyana currencies, jewellery, and his wife’s purse.
The body was examined by detectives and taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital.
