Decomposed body at Mahaica: Cause of death undetermined

Jun 25, 2009 News

Dead: Shira Khan

Investigators are still stumped on the circumstances that led to the death of 41-year-old Shira Khan, of Unity, Mahaica, after a post mortem examination yesterday failed to determine the cause.
Khan’s decomposing body was pulled from a drain a short distance from her home around mid morning on Tuesday after it was discovered by persons weeding the parapet on the Mahaica, New Road.
A source close to the investigation told this newspaper that because of the decomposed state of the body the Pathologist who performed post mortem could not determine definitively how Khan died.
Although Khan’s body was found in a drain, drowning has almost been ruled out. They had already concluded that she was not a hit and run victim.
Police yesterday detained Khan’s male friend for questioning, hoping that he could provide clues as to her last movements.
But the man is claiming that he had not seen the woman for the past two weeks.
According to a family member, the man indicated to police that he had contacted Khan on her cellular phone on Friday and invited her to visit his Mon Repos home for the weekend so that they could spend Father’s Day together.

However, she did not turn up and he unsuccessfully tried several times to contact her by telephone.
The dead woman’s family remains convinced that she was killed and her body dumped in the drain some time during the past weekend.
Khan left her home around midday on Friday to go to work, less than a mile away.
She had told her mother that she would be home a bit late since she had intended to visit her male friend at Mon Repos, further down the East Coast of Demerara.
Ramdabi Ramlochan, said that she had earlier urged her daughter to come home early after work since the area leading to their home was very dark at nights.
“She tell me she gentleman call she and tell she to come by he fuh Father’s Day, so I say she must be tek he suggestion and go since Friday. She would normally go by the weekend and come back on Monday or Tuesday,” Ramlochan told this newspaper.

There is some evidence that Khan did visit Mon Repos on Saturday, since her older sister was told by a neighbour that she was seen in the village market that afternoon.
Ramlochan said that accepting the fact that her daughter had gone to Mon Repos, she was expecting her to return home on Monday.
However, that did not happen and on Tuesday morning Khan still was not seen or heard from.
According to Ramlochan, when the body was discovered, the two rings her daughter was wearing had been removed from her fingers.
The woman’s working bag and her cellular phone were also missing. Since the post mortem failed to determine how Khan died, investigators will prepare a report based on statements obtained from several persons and seek the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
It is likely that should there be no conclusive evidence to suggest foul play, an inquest will be ordered by the DPP.