State attorney to prosecute baby in freezer case

A state attorney is to be appointed to prosecute Dr Ronald Budhooram on the charge of unlawfully killing a newborn baby between June and July at his office in San Fernando. Police have allegedly found the child in a freezer in the doctor’s office.

A prosecutor in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court told Senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine when the case resumed on Thursday, that a file was submitted to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a state attorney to be assigned to prosecute the case.

The 60-year-old doctor was arrested in early December and charged with unlawfully killing baby Kemron Jurai.

Budhooram was denied bail and remanded into custody by Antoine, but he applied to a High Court judge in chambers who granted him $250,000 bail.

Antoine had refused bail on the basis that the accused has a previous charge pending.

Budhooram was quizzed by police in July. The baby was born to Gail Cindy Sooknanan of Sewlal Trace, Fyzabad.

The charge of unlawfully killing the baby between June 30 and July 10, came after an autopsy revealed that death was due to pre-term delivery complications.

Yesterday, Budhooram stood in the dock and told Magistrate Antoine that Subhas Panday will represent him.

Prosecutor Cleyon Seedan told the magistrate that a file was sent to the DPP.

The case was adjourned to May 8.