Police yesterday charged three teenagers, including a 16-year-old, with the murder last Friday night of woman taxi driver Seerajiee Singh, at Ogle Airstrip Road, East Coast Demerara.

MURDER ACCUSED: from left, Anandram Dhanraj, Naresh Boodhoo and Hemraj Boodwha.

(Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

The trio includes Anandram Dhanraj, called 'Arvin', 18, of Lot 128 Seventh Street, Success, a neighbour of the slain mother, who had braved the dangerous East Coast Demerara to join her husband in running a taxi service to provide for their family.

The other accused are Naresh Boodhoo, nicknamed 'Aloo', of Success Housing Scheme, also 18, and Hemraj Boodwha, 16, of Success Side Line Dam, all also on East Coast Demerara.

They appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan accused of the killing.

Singh, a 41-year-old mother of three, of Lot 129 Seventh Street, Success, was hired to do a pick-up at about 22:30 h Friday, when the passengers requested to go to Ogle, where she was stuck up, shot in her mouth and pushed out of the vehicle in which her killers drove away.

She was taken by Police to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where she died.

The accused were remanded to prison and the case was transferred to Sparendaam Court in the East Demerara jurisdiction, for March 13, when Dhanraj and Boodhoo will again face another joint indictable charge of robbery under arms.

Particulars of that offence said the two robbed Ameron Gulab, at gunpoint, of a 'Toyota Carina' motor car valued $1.9M, on January 27, at Liliendaal, on East Coast Demerara, too.

Gulab had been hired by one man to take him from Sheriff Street in Georgetown to Liliendaal and the hold-up took place after a second man joined the vehicle, Police said.

The two robbers then drove off with $9,000 they stole from the victim, Police said.

Boodhoo pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and was sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined $2,000 on each of the charges.

He admitted that he had a .22 'Rossi' pistol and three live bullets at Mackenzie, Linden, on February 12, while not being the holder of licences for them.

Police Inspector Maxine Graham, prosecuting, said the prisoner was arrested in connection with the Singh killing and a search of his person yielded the gun and ammo from his pants waist.

Relatives said Singh did taxi drops at night only with persons she knew.

Thursday, February 16, 2006