GANESH Dhanraj on Monday stood before the Demerara High Court and confessed to strangling his wife with a bedsheet at their Parika, East Bank Essequibo home in 2017.

Dhanraj appeared before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow for the capital offence of murder. However, he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, which alleged that on April 5, 2017, at Parika, he unlawfully killed 29-year-old Dhanwantie Ram.

The matter was adjourned to September 26, 2022, for the presentation of a probation report, following which he will be sentenced.

Attorney-at-law Ravindra Mohabir is on record for Dhanraj, while the state is being represented by prosecutors Latifiah Elliot, Marisa Edwards and Simran Gajraj.

According to previous reports by this publication, on the morning of April 5, 2017, the lifeless body of the mother of three was found in a sitting position with a bed sheet tied around her neck.

The victim’s sister who made the gruesome discovery, had told this newspaper that the woman was found kneeling on the living room floor, slumped across a chair with the sheet around her neck and a carpet covering her body.

On April 9, 2017, the police arrested Dhanraj after he was on the run for four days. He was caught around 02:00hrs at Parika after being shot in his right arm by lawmen.

Investigations had revealed that Dhanwantie after enduring years of abuse ended her relationship with Dhanraj. She left his house with their three children and went to live elsewhere in Parika.

Although she had tried to move on, Dhanraj continued to harass her and on the fatal day as she was on her way to make a report to the police, Dhanraj lured her into his house and allegedly killed her.

The two had been together for some 15 years.