Murder of 79-Year-Old Santa Mathurasingh in Triolet: Suspect Ravish Kumar Seetul Confesses
Murder of 79-Year-Old Santa Mathurasingh in Triolet: Suspect Ravish Kumar Seetul Confesses
On June 22, a horrifying incident unfolded on Queen Elizabeth Avenue, where 79-year-old Santa Mathurasingh and her 83-year-old sister, Gyantee Humawtee Ramnarain, were brutally attacked in their home. The sisters, who lived alone in their family residence in the north of the island, were victims of a violent burglary. They were bound, gagged, and assaulted. Santa tragically lost her life during the attack, her body discovered beneath a mattress, with her wrists bound by adhesive tape and her mouth obstructed by clothing. Gyantee, although severely weakened, survived the ordeal.
On the same day, the Northern Divisional Crime Intelligence Unit, led by SP Poinoosawmy, arrested 36-year-old Ravish Kumar Seetul, who later confessed to the crime. A sum of Rs 1,000 was found on him, supporting the theory that the crime was a robbery that escalated into violence. The case has been handed over to the Major Crime Investigation Team.
Dr. Sudesh Kumar Gungadin, head of the forensic department, determined that the cause of Santa's death was "asphyxia by smothering" and a "fracture of the neck."
Currently hospitalized, Gyantee recounted her harrowing experience, stating, "They tied my hands. After that, they took a cord, bound my arms and head, and covered my eyes," she said with a broken voice. She remembers pleading with her attacker: "I asked him why he was tying my hands, why he was doing this?" but to no avail. "He tied me up very tightly."
The sisters were asleep in their beds when the intruder broke in. Approximately Rs 3,000 was also recovered from the crime scene. As of Sunday afternoon, Gyantee was still unaware of her sister's death, saying, "I was unwell, I came here," not realizing the worst had already occurred.
The drama unfolded behind a shop run by a nephew of the victims. An employee of the shop was the last person to see them alive. She recounted, "The last people I saw were them; I had given Santa her medication, and I had also given syrup to the other one. They asked me to stay that night as they were unwell, both in bed. Santa asked me to stay with her a bit. I couldn't stay; I had to go home. It was around 10 PM when I left them. It was the first time I worked late; the boss was sick, I didn’t know what time it had gotten to."
Santa was active and carried out household chores, while her sister was much weaker: "Santa did her work, she swept and cleaned. Gyantee Humawtee in the hospital needed to eat and drink. For two or three days, I helped her eat and drink her soup. The doctor came to check on her, and they put her on a drip."
According to gathered information, every morning, Santa would open the main door for the employees. On Sunday morning, the door remained closed. "My colleague came early; I came late. She was knocking, knocking, but the door was locked." She called for Santa but got no response: "Santa usually answered the phone; she would get up and walk. When no one answered, I asked the neighbors to check on them because they weren’t opening the door," the employee continued.
The alarm was raised. Artee, one of the nieces of the two elderly ladies, rushed to the scene: "I went, the door was open, I found one of my aunts underneath, the other one was covered under the mattress," she testified. Upon checking, she realized the horror: "I touched my aunt; she was already cold. I heard my other aunt crying; she was suffering. My husband came and lifted the mattress; she was breathing. We took her out with great caution. We didn't let her know that her sister had passed away. We made her sit, gave her some water, and called for an ambulance."
The nephew, who manages the shop, believes the attacker was looking for keys: "Given how we secured it, no one was expecting an intruder to break in and do something like this. They were looking for the keys to enter the building. When they didn’t find them, they tied them up and hid them under the bed." He described the chaos in the house: "When my mother came in, everything was turned upside down."
Very emotional, he shared: "She was unwell; we were going to admit her to the clinic that day. I would have told her to give blood. I never expected she would meet such a brutal end. We lost our mother, she looked at us like her children."
On Monday, Ravish Kumar Seetul, caught by surveillance cameras, was presented before the Pamplemousses court. He has been provisionally charged with murder.
