– after Babita Sarjou’s skeletal remains were discovered in shallow grave more than five years after woman went missing
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has managed to secure an extension of detention (72 hours) from the High Court today for the reputed husband of Babita Sarjou and his accomplice after the skeletal remains of a person, believed to be that of the woman who was missing for almost six years, was discovered buried in the yard of her reputed husband on Sunday.
This is according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum who told INews today that the two suspects had been in police custody in relation to the ‘cold case’ which was recently reopened when law enforcement officers got a breakthrough.
As such the family and friends of Sarjou are one step closer to receiving justice after many years of wondering what happened to the young woman following the arrest of her reputed husband, Anand Narine, and the man suspected to be his accomplice.
It was during intense questioning and continuous interrogation of the duo that Narine’s accomplice reportedly ‘cracked’ and confessed to helping the man murder his reputed wife and burying her body in the backyard of Narine’s lot 51 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, Georgetown property.
The accomplice allegedly took investigators to where the skeletal remains were buried and upon unearthing the bones police ranks arrested the duo for the crime.
Reports are that the shallow grave was about three feet deep and investigators on the scene discovered a skull, bones, and some pieces of fabric believed to have been the clothing Sarjou was wearing when she left home six years ago and never returned.
INews was told that the shallow grave had been covered with concrete and police ranks had to use tools to break through the cemented cover to locate the skeletal remains.
Blanhum told this online publication that the case is now officially a homicide and that a DNA test will be conducted shortly to determine the identity of the skeletal remains. Samples are to be sent to Trinidad for the specialized testing soon and plans are already underway to ensure that the results return to the GPF in a timely manner, the Police Crime Chief explained.
He noted that should the remains prove to be that of Sarjou’s then when the results return to Guyana the remains will be handed over to the woman’s family as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Narine and his alleged accomplice are in police custody as investigations continue.
Almost six years ago on November 4, 2010 the then 28-year-old Sarjou had left her mother’s Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) residence to meet her estranged husband and son (four years old at that time) to view the annual Diwali motorcade at the Kitty Seawall, Georgetown.
She was never seen again by her mother or other relatives and despite repeated telephone calls to both of Sarjou’s cellular phones on that night and after, every attempt to contact her proved futile.
It was as if she just disappeared. Her mother Champa Seonarine made a report at the Timehri Police Station, EBD, then another one at the Kitty Police Station about her daughter being missing.
She also cited that she was fearful that Narine had played a part in her daughter’s unexpected disappearance. This propelled investigating ranks at that time to detaining a man and questioning him while searching his home and septic tank for traces of Sarjou.
Other homes were also searched in the quest of determining what happened to Sarjou but to no avail. There were no records at any port of entries in Guyana to show that the young woman had left the country either.
Shortly before the woman’s disappearance she had filed a harassment case against Narine but the case was later dismissed. Her reputed husband had been accused of pasting numerous copies of a nude picture of Sarjou on the walls and fence of her workplace at BK International and even on electricity posts around the environment. (Kristen Macklingam)
