–one in custody assisting with investigations
CRIME CHIEF Seelall Persaud told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that the police are looking for several suspects in relation to last Thursday’s brutal murder of Diamond taxi driver Rajendra Puran; and that a male suspect is in custody assisting police with investigations into the murder. He added that the police are following some leads, and are hoping for a breakthrough in the murder case as investigations continue.
The bound and gagged body of Rajendra Puran, 40, of Lot 1296 Section C, Block Y, Diamond, East Bank Demerara was found in a drain outside of Lot 71 Red Road, Logwood, Enmore, East Coast Demerara last Thursday, May 3, 2012. The body was barefooted, his hands were tied behind his back, and his feet and mouth were also bound.
A post-mortem done on May 4 revealed that Puran died from manual strangulation and blunt trauma to the head.
Detectives at the scene said Puran’s death might have been the result of a robbery/hijacking, and that he was likely killed elsewhere and his body dumped at the Enmore location.
His white Toyota Raum, HB 9875, is yet to be located.
Puran’s body was found by 68-year-old Joseph Badal, known as ‘Uncle Joe’, who lives at that address. He told the Guyana Chronicle he made the discovery at about 06:15hrs when he went to retrieve the daily newspapers at the entrance to his yard.
Puran’s grieving widow, Vesta Puran, said her husband had left home for work at around 21:00 hrs on Wednesday, after he had had a meal and a bath.
She had retired to bed, but at about 02:00hrs on Thursday, 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 hurried to the scene, where their worst fears had been confirmed.