Detectives have been told yet another version of how 85-year-old Sumintra Sawh was murdered. This time, it was from the alleged co-conspirator, Mohammed Raman Shaheed. He told detectives that he is still owed for his role in the murder of the pensioner.
Shaheed was captured by police over the weekend and held in custody. He finally broke his silence on Monday night. The suspect said that it was Sawh’s great-niece who wanted to acquire her home and hired him to murder her.
He told detectives that it was Roshanie Basdeo, who was recently charged for her murder, who hatched a plan to have the woman murdered in her sleep, as she was given notice to vacate the home after being accused of stealing cash.
The man confessed that Basdeo provided details of the plan, including him entering a backdoor that was left open and even showed the women’s room where she slept. He told police that he contemplated his actions before going to the house, but the plan seemed convincing. He told detectives that on the night of the murder, he consumed a large amount of alcohol and proceeded to execute his part of the plan.
Shaheed said that on the night of the murder, he entered the home, armed with a piece of wood, proceeded to the woman’s bedroom and began hitting her in the head. He told detectives that despite repeatedly clubbing her, the woman awoke and began crying out in agony. He then ran out of the house, but not before asking for his payment.
The man further confessed that Basdeo informed him that cash was not readily available, and he would have to wait until she located it. He immediately left and returned home to continue drinking.
The man noted that hours later, Basdeo alarmed residents that there was a thief in the house. This prompted him to escape, since he left without payment and could have possibly been implicated in the new plot. He told detectives that before the wanted bulletin was issued, he remained at several of his relatives’ homes before word for around of his alleged crime.
He was later caught by police and arrested.
Shaheed told police that he was unaware how the woman received stab wounds or marks of asphyxiation. He noted that when he dealt the blows, the woman was alive.
However, a source close to the investigation revealed that since there are more than three versions to the story, investigators will now have the job to ascertain the truth.
The source said that while from all indications they were both involved in the murder, there is still uncertainty as to what roles they played. The source said that the motive, while it seems plausible, has a number of loopholes. The source said that a final interrogation of both parties today could reveal the truth.
