NAZAMEED Rafeek on Monday pleaded not guilty to the gruesome murder of West Berbice businessman Doodnauth Arthur Rajkumar and his reputed wife, Dianne Chamanlall.

Rafeek, of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Berbice High Court, and denied that he murdered Rajkumar, 81, and 49-year-old Chamanlall, also known as “Devi”, at School Dam, Bush Lot, between January 8-9, 2016.

He was represented by Attorney-at-Law Mursaline Bacchus, while the State was represented by Prosecutor Abigail Gibbs. The case comes up for hearing on Tuesday.

Last year, Rafeek’s co-accused Rooplall Abrahim and Madanpaul Gocoul both pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter at the same court, before Justice Brassington Reynolds.

Abrahim was sentenced to life imprisonment, and will be eligible for parole after 25 years, while Gocoul was handed a 25-year sentence.

According to reports, the couple was living together in the upper flat of a two- storeyed building on Middle Dam, Bush Lot when Rafeek and his cohorts allegedly broke in through a grilled door on January 9, 2016.

After making a thorough search for money but coming up almost empty-handed, but for a few items of foodstuff and some cigarettes, they chopped the couple mercilessly, to the extent that each of the victims sustained no less than 20 deep incised wounds and multiple fractures.

They reportedly died as a result of shock and haemorrhage due to their injuries.