Latest update April 8th, 2025 6:20 AM
6 years later…Ex-husband, accomplice charged with the murder of Babita Sarjou
Six years after BabitaSarjou disappeared, her ex- husband and his accomplice were yesterday charged with her murder after the remains of her body was unearthed from his Seaforth Street, Campbellville residence.
Shardanand Naraine, called “Anand”, and his co-accused, Darryl Ponton, called “Yankee”, were led into Chief Magistrates Ann McLennan’s court handcuffed and shackled. They were not allowed to plead to the capital offence.
Naraine, who was represented by defense attorney Maxwell Mc Kay, was said to be living at the lot 51 Seaforth Street, Campbellville residence, where Sarjou’s skeletal remains were found after police dug up a shallow grave. Ponton, of lot 54 Broad Street, Charlestown, was unrepresented.
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan remanded them to prison until June 21.
Sarjou’s disappearance had sparked conflict between several Non- governmental organizations (NGOS) and the police force where they had lambasted the force for not being able to solve the case. However, recently, new Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, was able to crack the case with a team on Sunday when authorities spent five hours digging up a site where they believed she was under.
According to reports Sarjou had left her home to go to the motorcade with Naraine who had called her. Reports indicated that Naraine picked her up in his car and while she was sitting in the front passenger seat she was strangled by Ponton who was reportedly seated at the back of the car.
Sarjou‘s lifeless body was allegedly transported to Naraine’s house, where he now resides with his new wife and children. Reports indicate that Naraine had dug her grave two days before she was strangled. Sarjou’s mother, Champa Seonarine, had always believed that Naraine was behind her daughter’s disappearance and death.
Over the last six years she has been lobbying with NGOs, who speak out against violence against women, to press police to solve the case. Seonarine who was present at the court expressed satisfaction that her daughter’s case was solved.
A solemn Seonarine praised crime Chief Blanhum for solving the case and she stated that she can rest now because justice has been served. CADVA, a local NGO, for the rights of women spokesperson said that the solving of this case has been for all the women who have been murdered and their killers are not brought before the justice system.
She stated that domestic violence has many faces and Sarjou’s is a perfect example of such. Sarjou’s case has attracted widespread attention from the Guyanese populace.
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