West Berbice Pensioner murdered

By: Staff Writer

85-year-old Sumintra Sawh (also known as Aunty Betty) from Bushlot, West Coast Berbice, was brutally murdered on her 85th birthday.

Sawh’s great-niece, 37-year-old Roshani Basdeo has since confessed to being a part of a plan to rob the woman of her savings.

Sawh was stabbed over six times and about $350,000 was stolen from her bedroom on Monday. She saved her money to build a fence.

Sawh was found lying motionless in a pool of blood on her bed, on Monday 28th November, her birthday.

Her great niece told Police that two men armed with knives entered the home, tied her up, stabbed the old woman to death and stole her money.

However, while in police custody, the niece confessed. She told investigators that she is friends with Sawh’s 48-year-old male neighbour and that the individual would frequently visit them at the house.

The niece told police that on Sunday the man visited the house and Sawh gave him $1,000 to purchase balanjay. She took the money from her purse which she kept in her bedroom.

Upon his return with the vegetable, the niece said that the “friend” told her that they will rob Sawh and that he will purchase a scooter for himself and that she (the niece) will get the house.

The niece worked with the plan and left the door to the bottom flat unlocked. In the wee hours of Monday morning, Sawh’s neighbour entered the house and asked her for the money; Sawh was sleeping at that time.

She revealed that she showed the “friend” the bag in Sawh’s room and he went in and began to beat the old woman on the bed with an object.

She told Police that she asked him to stop but he continued beating until Sawh became unconscious. Then he grabbed the bag with the money and reportedly shuffled the niece on her neck and cut her on the left hand. Further, she said that he threatened to kill her family if she ever told anyone and he escaped.

She also admitted to Police that she was never tied up. Police are now on the hunt for Mohammed Ramzan Shaheed(the second suspect) for the brutal murder of Sumintra Sawh.