NGO helps mom of murder victim

The president of a non-profit organisation has taken to social media for help in improving the living conditions of 71-year-old pensioner Tara Ramnath, who lost both legs to diabetes and uses a wheelchair.

Anil Singh of the NAYEK Foundation decided to help "this kind woman" after he read about the recent murder of her only daughter, Leisha, 39, in Newsday.

The day before relatives found her body upstairs in the family’s small wooden house at Clarke Road in Penal, Ramnath's mother witnessed the suspect savagely beating Leisha.

Leisha had been an abusive relationship for three years in which the suspect had repeatedly threatened to kill her, her elderly mother and sickly brother Mukesh, 41. Ramnath and Mukesh live downstairs and Leisha and the suspect lived upstairs.

"Her (Ramnath’s only) son is diagnosed with epilepsy and poses a threat to himself and herself. She has a dysfunctional toilet that cannot flush. She is in dire need of any assistance that can be granted to her," Singh posted on social media.

The NAYEK Foundation, based at Indian Walk in Moruga, was formed in 2010 with the aim of assisting underprivileged and less fortunate people. NAYEK is an acronym of the first letters of the names of its founders.

"Please render your assistance in supporting this individual as she has no one to look after her. May God continue to bless you and guide you accordingly," Singh asked.

Singh said the response has been great and expressed gratitude to all those who responded to his appeal, including Sunil Harripaul and company. Harripaul and his colleagues, Singh said, bought and dropped off food for Ramnath.

"We ask that God continues to bless and guide him and his colleagues with a brighter and more prosperous future in their business as well as personal endeavours, as they continue to serve the people of the country."

On March 31 at about 8 am, Mukesh found his sister's body. She had been beaten, but an autopsy found that she died not from the licks but from strangulation.

Leisha was not married and had no children. but took care of her beloved pet parrot Cookie. who is in mourning and missing her. A relative of the dead woman said, "Cookie was very close to Leisha. The parrot is withdrawn but will pick up."

The bereaved Ramnath does not have a phone. but a relative told Newsday help has been pouring in from different people. She had some electrical problems and a family member fixed them. One of her brothers has reconnected with her since the death and she is overjoyed.

"People are chipping in and helping for now.

"But for, later, we do not know," a relative said. "We are trying for social services to come in to see what services she can get."

The suspect remains in custody and police from Homicide Bureau Region III are investigating.