Teen among 2 charged for rape, murder of Corentyne woman

The two men, who have reportedly confessed to raping and killing a 52-year-old Corentyne woman last Friday have been remanded to prison.
One of them is a teenager.
Crishan David called ‘Varen’, 25, of Number Naught Village, is considered the mastermind and Yogindra Pokhai called ‘Ravin’, 18 of Number 54 Village were charged with murder during the act of a sexual offence –rape.
The duo appeared at the Springlands Magistrate Court before Tuanna Hardy and were not required to plea to the indictable charge.
It is alleged that they raped and murdered 52-year-old Ninawattie Nandalall, called ‘Sharda’, of Number Naught Village, Corentyne.

A postmortem examination conducted on the woman’s body has given the cause of death was asphyxiation, incise wound to the neck, and fracture of the cervical spine.
The two men were represented by Senior Counsel Murseline Bacchus. The defence attorney told the court that the accused have both related that they were forced to sign statements prepared by the police.
During the hearing, magistrate asked the accused if they had any marks of violence, which they needed the court to make a record of and both accused responded in the affirmative.
However, Pokhai showed the court his right hand and David raised his shirt and showed the court his stomach. Magistrate Hardy asked the police prosecutor to take a closer look and he indicated to the court that it appeared to be a mark on David’s belly from a surgery he may have had previously. Pokhai then indicated that he did not have any marks he wished to show the court.
The two accused were then remanded.

The matter has been transferred to Number 51 Magistrate’s Court and will continue on May 8, when the prosecution will be expected to make a disclosure of all of the evidence they have before a trial date is set.
Meanwhile, police had reported that the duo provided a confession saying that they were the perpetrators.
It had been reported that the police took a video recording of the confession statement.
Following the hearing the teenager’s mother Khamwattie Nevil called ‘Mama’, told this publication that she will do anything for her son.
She said her son said they were in the backdam and saw a light and hid in the bushes until they realized that it was the now dead woman’s son in a vehicle.
“He tell me Ravin dem ah look fo dem Mammy and they ask him if they see dem Mammy and dem tell dem ‘no’,” she said.
She said her son and friend went into the backdam to catch rabbits and did catch one.
The lifeless body of Nandalall was discovered by her youngest son between vegetation about 400 metres into the backdam on Friday morning.
The mother of three had ventured to the backdam around midday on Thursday to pick mangoes to make achar for visitors she was expecting, but had never returned home. (G4)