Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 20, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News
A doctor is scheduled to testify on May 11, via Skype video call from Brazil, when the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murder of Babita Sarjou continues before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The prosecution is still presenting its case.
It is alleged that Sarjou’s ex-spouse, Shardanand Naraine, called ‘Anand’ of 51 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, and Darrel Ponton called ‘Yankee’ of 54 Broad Street, Charlestown, killed her. They are currently on remand for the indictable offence.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum and his team of detectives were able to crack the case on May 22, 2016 after they spent over five hours digging up a site at Naraine’s home.
After excavating the site, detectives recovered skeletal remains which DNA samples confirmed were those of Sarjou.
According to reports, Sarjou had left her home to go to the Diwali motorcade on the eve of November 4, 2010 with Naraine, who had called her. He reportedly picked her up in his car and while she was sitting in the front passenger seat she was allegedly strangled by Ponton who was reportedly seated at the back of the car.
Sarjou’s lifeless body was allegedly transported to Naraine’s house where it was buried. Reports had indicated that Naraine had dug the grave two days before Sarjou was killed.
This PI has been ongoing in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for over six months, during which time the prosecution has called a number of police and civilian witnesses to testify.
Some of the persons included Champa Seonarine, the mother of Babita Sarjou, and Assistant Superintendent of Police Mitchell Caesar, who is the head of the Major Crimes Investigations Unit.
Seonarine, who said she is a farmer, had told the court that she last saw her daughter on November 4, 2010. The woman recalled that her daughter had left home to attend the Diwali motorcade in Georgetown. The mother also identified several pieces of clothing, a pair of footwear and jewellery that were recovered from the shallow grave as her daughter’s belongings.
Also, during the PI several oral and caution statements given to police by the two murder accused were ruled admissible by the Chief Magistrate at the conclusion of a Voir Dire. As such, the oral and caution statements were admitted to form part of the prosecution’s evidence.
Police Lance Corporal Orlan Alleyne had recounted that he took video footage and audio recordings of a crime scene at 51 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, where the suspected skeletal remains of Babita Sarjou were recovered from a shallow grave.
Detective Inspector Suraj Singh and Detective Lance Corporal Jermaine Laundry had testified to interviewing Naraine and Ponton at the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, during which they told them of a murder allegation and cautioned them, according to the judge’s rule.
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