Pundit chopped to death in home invasion in Sangre Grande

A pundit was chopped to death during a home invasion in Sou Sou Land, Cunaripo, Sangre Grande on Sunday afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as 65-year-old Ramesh Maharaj.

Police said around 2.30 pm on September 29, Maharaj, a woman and her common-law husband were at home when two men with cutlasses and jerseys covering their faces entered through the back door.

Maharaj confronted the men while the woman ran to hide in a bedroom.

One of the masked men followed the woman and ransacked the room.

He then forced the woman into the living room, where she saw Maharaj lying on the ground in the kitchen.

The other masked man took Maharaj's wallet and dragged him into a room.

The woman noticed a trail of blood coming from Maharaj while he was being moved.

The two men went through the back door and ran off.

When the police arrived, Maharaj was dead.

Newsday took the two-hour trip on September 30 and visited Maharaj's home in Sou Sou Land, Cunaripo, Sangre Grande.

Newsday called out numerous times and was later told the family were staying elsewhere.

A resident spoke to Newsday on the condition of anonymity.

She said Maharaj was a nice man who would only be outside when he exercised on the evening or when he was going to work.

"He was a person who was never in any bacchanal with anyone.

"Just recently, he was telling us about a new dog he got."

She said two weeks ago, Maharaj said he had some news for her.

"He was telling me he wanted to go up for local government elections."

She said she never got to have the full conversation with him because of the busy nature of their schedules.

She admired Maharaj for the energy he had for his age.

"That man had stamina for his age. When he would exercise, he would walk and run on the street for hours."

Commenting on the home invasion in the close-knit neighbourhood, she said, “This throw us back badly. Just this week I was saying, ‘Thank God we don’t have these thing up in the bush here like the main (city).’

"Low and behold when I heard this I was shocked. I feel like is me personally something happen, to know how we live."

Newsday found Maharaj's family, who said his immediate family were out on errands.

Newsday tried to contact the family later in the day but the phone call was unsuccessful.

MP Chaguanas West and executive member of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) Dinesh Rambally extended his condolences Maharaj's family and called on action for senseless killings to stop.

"The murder of Pundit Ramesh Maharaj, a Hindu priest engaged in service to the community...has left the national community at another threshold of horror.

"This act of violence against a man of peace and spirituality is an assault on the very fabric of our society."

Rambally called on the authorities, specifically the Ministry of National Security, to provide justice for Maharaj's family and to control crime in the country.

"They must be held accountable and justice must be served. For too long, we have witnessed a lack of effective strategies and meaningful interventions to combat the rising crime rates.

"How much more blood must be spilled before the ministry acknowledges the urgency of the situation?"

Rambally said an increased police presence, stronger community policing efforts and more support for law enforcement officers on the ground would help in restoring the peace, security and stability of the country.

Police said investigations are ongoing.