… for a second post mortem
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, yesterday told a press conference that the remains of Sangeeta Persaud, called “Sheena”, will be exhumed for a second post mortem shortly.
He said the post mortem will be conducted by an overseas pathologist, which he says will bring some form of closure for  relatives of the deceased.
Rohee said since the incident has caused national controversy as to how the teenager died, the government has decided to look into the matter.

The Minister met with relatives of Persaud at Canal Number Two Polder and at Parafait Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, on Wednesday night, and they supported the exhumation.

Rohee told a press conference at his ministry’s boardroom, Brickdam, Georgetown, that he has since seen the interim report submitted by the ‘D’ Division police which details the post mortem results, with the cause of death described as undetermined.
The examination was conducted by government pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary. The post mortem was witnessed by a Detective Lance Corporal after the body was identified by the teen’s mother, and samples were taken for tests.
Minister Rohee explained that the foreign pathologist was summoned because there is need for a second opinion.
When asked whether he is aware of a report in a section of the print media which stated that Persaud died of meningitis, Rohee said he had not seen an official document to date and as such he is not at liberty to comment.

Sangeeta Persaud, nicknamed “Sheena”, 14, died at the West Demerara Regional Hospital on March 28, 2010, after she was rushed there by the pastor and members of the Christ Ambassadors Church, who had tried to force evil spirits from her body.
The teenager, of 26 Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara, began behaving strangely after she had a cup of tea at breakfast on Sunday April, 28, 2010, in the presence of her grandmother, Chitranie Ramotar, 63, who shared a small one-bedroom cottage with her.
The elderly woman told the Guyana Chronicle that she and the teen woke up at 06:00 hrs Sunday and were having breakfast when she flung herself on the bed and started acting abnormally.
The woman added that she became alarmed when her granddaughter began shaking violently and the features of her face changed and her body twisted and contorted.
By this time her calls to the neighbours attracted a group, including the pastor, who told her the girl was possessed and must go to the church to be exorcised.
He poured lime juice down the teen’s throat, pressed her stomach and rubbed her body with oil until she was rendered unresponsive and was groaning loudly.
At the church, the pastor was assisted by a few members, including his wife, who reportedly tried to get the evil spirits out of the teen’s body.
The grandmother told the Guyana Chronicle that the church members took the teen to the hospital at about 18:00 hrs and she succumbed at about 22:00 hrs that night.
Sheena was a pupil at Kawall Secondary School. She had a severe cold for some time, but was never really ill since she started living with her grandmother when she was nine.
Sheena moved in with her grandmother when her parents separated and she was reportedly ill-treated by her stepfather.