Orphaned siblings still hospitalised

EVEN as funeral preparations are ongoing with plans for the cremation of their murdered parents and uncle, a four-year-old girl and her eight-month-old brother remain warded at San Fernando General Hospital undergoing treatment following their harrowing ordeal.

The girl and her brother stayed with the bodies of their father Wazir "Punkhan" Mohammed, 57, mother Shelly-Ann Ragoonanan-Mohammed, 43, and uncle Nazim Mohammed, 52, for four days at the family's Clarke Road, Penal home before their oldest sibling, 21-year-old Vishad Mohammed, made the horrific discovery last Thursday.

Medical sources said the children are now in a stable condition having been initially placed on IV drips to counteract extreme dehydration. A date for the funeral has not been set as relatives said they are still making arrangements.

Relatives said the health of the children is their first priority and they are uncertain if the two will still be at hospital on the day of the funeral.

The children were unharmed during the killing of their parents and uncle and relatives remain at a loss to explain why anyone would want to murder the three and also, why would they leave the orphaned children in the house with the bodies.

Police said that after relatives made several telephone calls to the victims, Vijay Ramlal, 71, said to be a driver working for the family, picked up Vishad and they went to check on his (Vishad) parents.

On arrival, Ramlal kept pressing the horn of his car but no one came out of the house. The front gate was locked. Vishad later went inside the house where he found the decomposing bodies of his parents and uncle in the living room.

Autopsies revealed that the throats of the three victims were slit while was also shot twice in the chest. No arrests have been made and detectives from the Homicide Investigations Bureau (Region III) and Penal CID officers are continuing investigations.