Port Mourant man found dead on road

Nov 27, 2013 News

Dead: Nandkumar ‘Champa’ Poonwassie

– Foul play suspected

Residents of Day Clean Street, Ankerville, Port Mourant, yesterday morning made the startling discovery of a body which they later identified as that of 34-year-old Nandkumar Poonwassie called ‘Vishal’, ‘Champa’ or ‘Darshanie’ of Lot 132 Tain, Corentyne Berbice.
It was around 06:00 hrs when persons on their way to work saw the body alongside the street.
The victim was apparently clubbed to death in the head. The bloody corpse was clad in a white shirt and trousers.
The Police at Whim Station were immediately summoned. A close relative reported that the body bore a gaping wound to the head which appeared to be bashed in and his hands were bound behind his head.
A female villager who lives in proximity to where the body was found told Kaieteur News that when she awoke around 06:00 hrs she saw a number of persons on the street and when she enquired she was told that a body was on the street and “it was Darshanie”.

The man’s grieving sister Shamdai

She continued tearfully that since she knew the individual personally, she telephoned his relatives and informed them of the man’s demise.
The dead man’s sister was also in tears as she remembered her brother. Shamdai Poonwassie said that her sibling lived by himself and she last saw him on Diwali day. She added that he was unemployed.
“At 07:00 hrs today [Tuesday], my poowah called me and told me that they found his body,” she said. “Somebody killed my ‘buddy’ cruel”. Another relative, Keeray Baldeo said that she was perhaps the last family member to see Poonwassie alive; that was on Sunday. He seemed normal, she recounted.
“He locked up the place (his house) and left in the morning.” She said that he probably visited a relative at Port Mourant “to cook.” “He lives good with everyone,” she added. The man’s relatives, after viewing the body at the mortuary, related that it was a bloody mess.
“He get hit on the head. He whole skin get blood,” said Baldeo.
Other relatives related that Poonwassie lived at his late grandmother’s house a little distance from them and he did odd-jobs for persons in the community and they would pay him. His cousin said he was presently assisting at an overseas-based family’s home and had left their premises around 20:00hrs on Monday.

One relative claimed that they visited the family who told them that they had begged him to spend the night but he insisted on going home. Another relative said that a security guard attached to a snackette had told them that Poonwassie was seen near there at around 21:00hrs on Monday and a male individual was chasing after him as he was riding his bicycle.
The relative continued that Poonwassie would normally have money on his person and his cellular phone. The police did not find any money on him. His cellular phone and bicycle were not located.
Poonwassie leaves to mourn his father Beharry Poonwassie who lives at Chesney Village also on the Corentyne, and hadn’t see him for awhile; sister Shamdai called ‘Devi’ and three brothers: Manoj, Steve, and Ravin.
His mom died years ago and his aunt would usually look at her sister’s children. She said three years ago another of his aunts was murdered in the same house in which he resided.
Residents in the Port Mourant community are blaming the lack of street lights for numerous crimes in the area.
A post- mortem is expected to be performed shortly, while police investigations are continuing.