Pregnant Berbice housewife chopped to death by reputed husband

An alleged misunderstanding between a Berbice couple led to the demise of a 30-year-old housewife between Sunday afternoon and early Monday morning. The incident occurred between 19:00h on Sunday and 04:40h on Monday.
Dead is Oma Davi Virasamy of Lot 171 Bloomfield New Housing Scheme Corentyne, Berbice, while her reputed husband, 35-year-old Mahendra Paltoo also called “Ajay”, is in Police custody assisting with investigations. Guyana Times understands that the now dead woman was pregnant at the time of her demise.

Upon his arrest, the suspect told investigators that his wife was in the process of making up the bed for their child when she slipped and fell on a cutlass.
The cutlass was reportedly hidden between two mattresses in their bedroom. Nevertheless, he related that the woman received a cut on her right ankle, and as such, he assisted her to dress the wound after which she retired to bed.
He further claimed that he woke up at about 04:40h on Sunday and discovered his wife lying motionlessly.
However, after interrogation, Paltoo confessed that he and his now dead reputed wife had a misunderstanding after she accused him of being unfaithful. At the time, he had collected a bottle of alcohol from a neighbour.
He claimed that during the argument, the woman pushed him, and in retaliation, he armed himself with a cutlass and dealt her several blows about the body.
She sustained injuries to her right ankle and other parts of her body, including under her left eye. After the confession, he took the investigators to the area in the house where he committed the act. He was taken to New Amsterdam Police Station where he is being further interrogated.
Meanwhile, at the home of the suspect on Monday, his father Mukish Paltoo told Guyana Times that after learning that Virasamy had died, he handed over his son to the Police.

The man explained that his son contacted his wife at about 04:00h and told her that Virasamy was injured and requested for them to take her to the hospital. The man stated that he initially declined on the basis of his fading sight and suggested that his son seek the assistance of a neighbour.
The father, who lives in Hampshire which is about five miles away from his son, attempted to solicit assistance from a neighbour but it proved futile. Nevertheless, he and his wife travelled to Bloomfield.
“When we reach me ask what happen and they say the girl was dead, so I tell my wife that I got to carry this boy to the station. I take him and carry him to Whim Police Station and he go and meet the policeman come and see what happen and he tell me that I can’t be around,” the father revealed.
According to the senior Paltoo, on their way to the Police station, he enquired from his son what transpired.
“He say the girl fall on a cutlass… that she go to tie the netting and the cutlass de brace on the wall and she fall on it. That is what he tell me.” The couple has an 18-month-old daughter who is physically challenged. Paltoo also has a 17-year-old son.
The senior Paltoo said he was not aware of any issues between the couple. The suspect was released from prison last year after he was convicted of assault.
At the dead woman’s house, her uncle Deodat Arjuman explained that the mother of one lost her mother a few months ago. “All I know is that she move out and go and live with this boy.” He said the family wants a thorough probe into the incident.
Meanwhile, Police have also taken the suspect’s 17-year-old son and his mother into custody.