Nephew: Murder linked to new $100 notes

Larry Lakhan, nephew of Ramdeo Lakhan, 67, who was found buried in a shallow grave in Piparo on Wednesday.  PHOTO BY LINCOLN HOLDER - Lincoln Holder
Larry Lakhan, nephew of Ramdeo Lakhan, 67, who was found buried in a shallow grave in Piparo on Wednesday. PHOTO BY LINCOLN HOLDER - Lincoln Holder

Ramdeo "Scotty" Lakhan, the murdered Piparo pensioner, had arranged to visit a Princes Town bank to exchange $5,500 in old $100 notes for new polymer ones. His body was found on Wednesday in a shallow grave.

Relatives believe Lakhan, 67, who worked as a watchman, was murdered for his money. He lived alone at St John Road, Piparo, was unmarried and did not have any children.

His nephew Larry Lakhan, 52, said Lakhan had arranged for a driver to pick him up on Wednesday morning to go to the bank. He said the driver arrived at the house looking for Lakhan, not knowing villagers had just dug up the grave and found the body.

"My uncle never kept his money in his house. He always had it on him.

"When we found his body, we did not find his bag or his cutlass. We only found his (cutlass) case."

He described his uncle as "a man who kept to himself. He never liked crowds.

"He did not like stupidness. He was a law-abiding man."

Police said residents last saw Lakhan alive at about 5 pm on Tuesday, carrying a black umbrella. He was on Ramdass Trace in Piparo, walking to work.

The next day, shortly after 7 am, a villager went to check on Lakhan but could not find him. The man told police that while walking out of Ramdass Trace, he saw the umbrella in some bushes. He went into a nearby track and saw the shallow grave in a forested area.

He contacted Princes Town police and, with the help of villagers, dug up the grave and found the body.

Larry said, "I was digging also, and when I realised it was my uncle, I could not continue.

"He was chopped in his head. There were balisier (flowers) by his head, feet and under the body. I do not know why they (killers) did that. Maybe it is to throw us off."

Larry said Lakhan normally worked a 6pm-6am shift.

"He was a strong guy, so if they did not kill him, he would have killed them."

An autopsy was expected to be done at the Forensic Science Centre at St James on Thursday.

No one has been arrested.

Police from the Homicide Bureau Region III are leading investigations.

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