4 years after allegedly setting wife on fire husband faces murder trial

A man accused of killing his wife back in 2022, on the Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) is now facing a Judge and jury for that alleged crime. Tavita Natasha Lall died after allegedly being set on fire by her husband, Dipnarine Seelall. On Tuesday, the case formally got underway with the empanelling of a jury.
Attorney at law Merissa Edwards is appearing for the State, while Attorney Vinay Punwa is representing Seenarine. The prosecution is expected to call 17 witnesses during the trial. They comprise seven residents of the community, eight police officers and two doctors, including a pathologist. Justice Gino Persaud adjourned the matter to August 18, when the prosecution is expected to call its first witness.
The case dates back to January 14, 2022, when 42-year-old Tavita Natasha Lall was severely burnt during an incident at her Number 64 Village, Upper Corentyne home. Lall, a mother of four, who had worked as a sweeper-cleaner at the Tagore Memorial Secondary School, had been living with her husband Dipnarine Seelall, also called “Narei”, for approximately two years. Reports at the time indicated that the couple had been involved in an argument before Lall was engulfed in flames after coming into contact with kerosene while she was preparing to cook. Neighbours reportedly heard her screams and rushed to the house. At the time, the door was locked, and neighbours had to force their way inside to rescue the badly burnt woman.
Lall was initially rushed to the Skeldon Hospital before being transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital and subsequently to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) because of the severity of her injuries. She suffered extensive burns and underwent several surgical procedures. Seelall was arrested following the incident and initially charged with attempted murder and remanded to prison.
After battling her injuries for approximately five weeks, Lall died at the Georgetown Public Hospital on February 22, 2022. Following her death, a murder charge was instituted against Seelall.