Police admit being stumped
–two detained suspects released without charge
FOLLOWING the brutal May 3 murder of taxi driver Rajendra Puran, police have said they are stumped, but are working with some new information which may be pertinent to the case, and are also in contact with Puran’s family members and relative for some new information they have received. Two men who were in police custody have subsequently been released upon expiry of the 72-hour holding time.
Rajendra Puran, called ‘Rajesh’, of Lot 1296 Section ‘C’, Block ‘Y’, Diamond, East Bank Demerara, had left his home for work at about 21:00hrs on the evening of May 2. He was apparently hired sometime later that evening and was subsequently murdered. His body was dumped in a small drain at Lot 71 Logwood, Enmore, East Coast Demerara.
His body was found at about 06:15hrs on May 3 by 68-year-old Joseph Badal, known as ‘Uncle Joe’, who lives at that address, when he went to retrieve the daily newspapers at the entrance to his yard.
A post-mortem revealed that Puran died of manual strangulation and blunt trauma to the head.
Puran’s grieving widow Vesta Puran said she had retired to bed, but at about 02:00hrs on Thursday, May 2, when she awoke and realised he had not returned home as usual, she tried to contact him on his cellular phone, but got no answer; and after several attempts, she knew something was amiss.
The woman said she telephoned his relatives and friends, hoping they knew of his whereabouts, but no one seemed to know where he was, until a friend informed that a man’s body was lying at Enmore. She and others had then hurried to the scene, only to confirm their worst fears.
Up to press time, the man’s white Toyota Raum, HB 9875, was still missing, and police believe he may have been the victim of a May 2/3 robbery/hijacking.