Elderly woman found dead in house

Sep 02, 2008 News

– Police suspect foul play

Undertakers removing the body of 79-year-old Biphaya Sankar, called ‘Phoolo’.

Police on the West Coast of Demerara have launched an investigation into what they suspect to be a murder.
Reports are that the victim, a female, was found with a gaping wound to the back of her head in the top flat of her New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop home. The body was reportedly discovered by one of her tenants sometime around 14:00 hours yesterday.
The woman has since been identified as 79-year-old Biphaya Sankar, called Phoolo. Sankar, according to neighbours, lived alone.
The tenant who made the discovery, Maxmillian Elvis, told this newspaper that after calling for the woman and getting no response, he decided to check the house for her.
“Normally, she does got dis yard busy. Once you ain’t hearing ‘Phoolo’ mouth, you know something wrong,” Elvis said.
“I does normally borrow she cutlass, so I go fuh borrow it, but I deh calling and she ain’t answering, so I go up de step and ah see de door half open,” Elvis recalled.
He added that when he pushed the door, he saw his landlady lying in a pool of blood with a wound to the back of her head.
“Right away I run downstairs and start calling out fuh de neighbours, and dem call de police,” the man added. Elvis said he last saw his landlady sometime late on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, neighbours who gathered around the area after hearing the news that ‘Phoolo’ (as she is familiarly referred to) may have been murdered, stood around in disbelief.
Many were heard speaking of what a jolly individual Sankar was.
“She does got de whole place busy. Me ain’t know what happen to she and who do it. Da woman quiet,” one neighbour was heard saying.
Others said they saw Sankar early yesterday morning and suggested that she was most likely killed at sometime around midday yesterday.
“I can’t believe this! I not too long see ‘Phoolo’ up de road and she talk to me good, good,” another neighbour recalled.
Strangely enough, no one recalled hearing any odd noise coming from the woman’s home.
In the meantime, investigators have taken statements from persons around the area.