Barrackpore contractor shot dead

ROBBERY is believed to be the motive for the murder of a 61-year-old businessman killed on December 17 in the Barrackpore district at the home of a friend.

The victim, Deonarine Mahase of DM Contractors Ltd, lived at Kanhai Road South in Barrackpore.

He was shot and killed at the friend's house around 5 am at Wilson Road, also in Barrackpore, where he often spent nights.

The police said he was walking to his Mazda van, which was parked in the road in front of the house, to go to his business place on Kanhai Road.

Gunshots were heard, and a masked gunman was seen standing over Mahase, who was lying on the ground under a shed.

The gunman pointed the gun at Mahase's friend, warning her to stay inside.

Some time later, the body was found and the police were notified. They found five rounds of 9mm spent shell casings with the markings "Tech Luger 9mm."

Mahase's van was unlocked and had been ransacked. It was unclear what, if anything, had been stolen from it.

Among the first responders were PCs Esahack and Khan of the Barrackpore Police Station.

ASP Bandhan, Sgt Dhunkarie and other police from the Southern Division also visited as well as Sgt Deo, W/Cpl Dyer-Baptiste and WPC Valdez of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region Three.

DMO Dr Kiran Ramlogan viewed the body and ordered it removed for safekeeping at the mortuary of the San Fernando General Hospital pending an autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre in St James.

W/Cpl Dyer-Baptiste is leading the investigation.

No one has been arrested.