Jury empanelled for Canal granny murder trial

A jury was empanelled on Friday for the murder trial of four men accused of killing a Canal Number Two grandmother in 2008 during a robbery.

It is alleged that Nigel Sookram, Steve Sookdeo, Roy Anthony Sewnarine and Vishal Seecharan murdered Budhia, 68, who suffocated after she was gagged during a robbery on her house on October 20, 2008 .

It is alleged that in the early hours of the morning on the day in question, four men armed with a gun and a knife broke into the elderly woman’s home. They tied her up, along with her daughter and granddaughter and terrorised them for an hour. Budhia, who was gagged, suffocated on cloth that had been shoved in her mouth.

Nigel Sookram
Nigel Sookram
Budhia
Budhia

The four accused will be tried before Justice Navindra Singh in the High Court.

Senior State Counsel Judith Gildharie-Mursalin will present the state’s case while Attorney Raymond Alli will represent Sewnarine and Seecharan. Attorney Hukumchand will defend the number one and number two accused, Sookram and Sookdeo.

The trial is scheduled to begin today.

Steve Sookdeo
Steve Sookdeo