The last time Indira Singh was seen alive was one week before her decomposing body was found in the dilapidated house she shared with her teenaged mentally challenged daughter located at Post Office Street, Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo.
It is suspected that she was raped and murdered by an intruder.
It was a friend of the woman who after not seeing her for days decided to check on her on Saturday. A foul stench and hand signals by her daughter alerted the friend that something was wrong and she immediately contacted the police. Upon checking, the lawmen found the woman’s decomposing body in the top flat of the two-flat building late Saturday afternoon.
Residents yesterday expressed shock that the woman could have been dead for almost a week and no one was aware and they were equally disturbed that her daughter remained in the home with the corpse for days. Stabroek News was told that the child has since been admitted to a hospital.
According to reports the woman had gone to check on Indira and after calling, her daughter came to the window and when she enquired about her mother she started to show signs and only managed to say “mamma.” The woman directed her to open the door on the bottom flat and when she did the woman was immediately greeted by a foul smell. The girl-said to be about 14-also started to show her signs which she interpreted to mean that something tragic had happened to her friend. Her worst fear was confirmed when the police discovered the body. The young girl also kept pointing at an open window and it is believed that whoever committed the act might have used the window as a means of entry and escape.
Indira, who is said to be about 44, walked the streets with her daughter begging or from time to time she would do domestic work for persons in the community. She also received assistance from the Muslim community and it was reported that the last time she was seen alive was when she travelled with a friend to a Muslim organization in Diamond. She also received public assistance for herself and the child but residents said that the child has never gone to school because of her condition and Indira was very protective of her.
From all indications the woman had no close relatives even though there are reports that she has a brother living in Zeeburg.
The house she lived in has no electricity or running water and is the property of a man, Rudolph Basdeo, she shared a common-law relationship with for many years until he died last August. A relative of the man yesterday told Stabroek News that all of the man’s siblings live overseas and after he died Indira was allowed to remain in the house since she said she had nowhere to go. It is believed that her daughter-her only child-is the child of the man.
She is originally from Zeeburg but made Vergenoegen her home for most of her life and even though her latter days were very harsh, residents said when she moved in with Rudolph as a young woman life was not as difficult.
“But she was a nice woman she never use to trouble nobody is must be somebody on drugs went in deh a do dat to her,” a male residents commented yesterday.
Before moving in with Rudolph, Indira lived with a family in Vergenoegen and worked as a live-in domestic. Stabroek News was told that a member of the family had met Indira in Parika where she worked in a restaurant and she had complained about harsh working conditions and begged for a job. The family members said they felt sorry for the woman, who at that time was under the age of 20, and they took her in and she lived and worked with them for a few years. But after some time she left the home and moved in with Rudolph who was much older than her and the two started to live as husband and wife.
According to the man’s relative many years ago the house Indira called home was one of the fanciest in the village and the family had everything. When his relatives migrated he remained in the house which was furnished and had modern facilities. But she said over the years the house became dilapidated as no maintenance was done to it and all its furnishings were sold out. The house is located opposite the post office but is surrounded by bush.
In his latter days the man was left to care for the child as Indira went out to work or beg and according to some residents many times the child would become violent.
The relative recalled that last August when she was alerted to Rudolph’s death she found him lying on the floor naked.
Over in Zeeburg, the elderly Loutie better known as ‘Fish lady’ told Stabroek News that Indira was her half sister from her father’s side but the two were not close and she had not seen her for years. She recalled that her father had married Indira’s mother after her mother died but she and another sister did not live with her father but with her grandparents. After some years both of Indira’s parents died and it was then she found work at Parika, her sister said. She said her father had left her (Loutie) in charge of the family property in Zeeburg but because it was unoccupied it became dilapidated and overgrown with bushes. Some contention among the three sisters saw the property being sold for a measly $500,000. Loutie said the three sisters each received $100,000 and the remainder went to the lawyer and the payment of tax.
“I give dem the money and I don’t see Indira anymore, she don’t come and visit or nothing,” the woman said.
She said that Indira had an older brother and she once lived with him but she was unsure of the man’s location.
Shortly before she died, Indira was observed walking with a stick and it is believed that she may have suffered a stroke which would have hindered her ability to do any form of domestic work. From all indications her entire life was a struggle just to survive and residents believe that she may have put up a fight before she died even if it was just to stay alive to take care of her daughter. “She didn’t have to die like that is must be somebody cruel to do dat to she,” commented a woman.
