THE BOUND and lifeless body of a 56-year-old businesswoman was found Monday at her Lot 3, Novar, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara home.Dead is Bibi Nesha Shairoon called “Shakeela”. The mother of three, who lived alone, was found with her hands and feet tied up.

The dead woman operated a grocery store that also sold garden chemicals, cell phone cards and cell phones, in the lower flat of her home, which was also ransacked.

Police suspect that the woman might have been attacked and robbed on Saturday night since her body was found Monday morning. A resident from the community has since been arrested in connection with her death.

Neighbours say they did not see her since Saturday.

Shairoon has been operating the business for the past two decades.

Reports also indicated that the businesswoman may have been raped. However, police said this claim can only be confirmed by an autopsy.

According to a relative, the bandits gained entrance to the home by breaking into a wooden section in the lower flat.

“They gone with a lot of cell phones, jewellery and her stocks; we didn’t find anything, the robbers carried away everything,” the relative said.

Shairoon’s daughter-in-law “Mitra” (only name given) told this publication that she last spoke to her mother-in-law Saturday afternoon.

“She called and tell me to send for some macaroni and I told her I also cooked macaroni, so we didn’t visit because the kids had a lot of school work to finish and we just talked. And she had called her sister after 20:00hrs Saturday night, so she was alive up until then,” Mitra said.

She added: “Neighbours called us and asked why they didn’t see her since Saturday, since she is accustom to go over by them and gaff; they constantly ring her phone and got no answer; they called relatives and Monday morning when we come a small boy jumped over the gate and the back door was opened and she was lying dead on the floor.”

Shairoon, who was robbed earlier this year, celebrated her 56th birthday only last month.