THE bound body of 65-year-old Sumintra Dinool was discovered among items in her ransacked two-bedroom home at Bar and Sussex Streets, Albuoystown, Georgetown early yesterday morning.

She was found by her son, Shah Dinool, who had been out with friends and returned to find that his mother had been murdered.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday afternoon, the man said he had been a mere two corners away from home ‘hanging out’ with his friends, and had returned home at approximately 04:45 hrs. As normal, he took off his footwear before heading to switch on the lights prior to proceeding to his room, which, upon pulling the blinds, he found in a state of disarray.
Shah said he first thought the thieves were still in the house, having embraced the opportunity to secure entry when his mother left for the La Penitence Market, where she operates a stall, and leaves home very early in the mornings to go there; but it turned out that his mother lay motionless in her room, which had also been ransacked. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her feet were also tied, while a towel was placed around her mouth.

He said that when he rushed to hold his mother, he realised that she had been dead for some while.
This discovering caused him to immediately summon his friends whom he had left at the shop, and he ran to his father’s place, two houses away, to inform him of the tragedy.

Shah Dinool said the police arrived half an hour after being summoned, and they turned up only when one of their colleagues who is his friend telephoned them repeatedly. They dusted the home for finger prints and were reportedly able to uplift a few.

He said the thieves were able to cart off approximately two hundred thousand dollars in cash, along with a flat screen television, VCR, and other items. The knife with which the intruders had entered the home was discovered after the police had concluded their initial investigations and had left.

Asked if he suspected anyone, Shah Dinool said the persons who had invaded their home and murdered his mother are from the area, since they were able to gauge his movements and know that he was not at home, hence they had opportunity to pounce on his mother.

The police said yesterday that they are investigating the murder. As at press time last evening, they had arrested two persons and had listed electronic equipment among the items which had been taken from the home.

Shah Dinool said he has been living at that location for the past 29 years, and has never had issues with anyone in the area, neither did his mom.

He also indicated that he had not yet been able to sit and comb through the house to see what items had been stolen, apart from the very visible ones which were missing.

With respect to the cash stolen from the home, he said it represented float money which had been lying around various parts of the house and was not anything too substantial.
(Leroy Smith)