Elderly Guyanese who was reported missing to return to Canada

Jasmattie Mohan Basdeo and her son Mahendranauth Basdeo after they were found by police at No.64 Village

Jasmattie Mohan Basdeo, the 92-year-old Canada-based Guyanese woman who was found in Berbice after being reported missing by relatives in Canada, will be returning home next week.

This has been confirmed by the woman’s daughter, Jean Basdeo, who spoke with Stabroek News on Wednesday afternoon. She explained that her mother is back on her medication and is now awaiting the required days before she is cleared for a flight back to Canada.

It was reported by this newspaper in its Sunday edition that concern for Mohan-Basdeo’s well-being came after she, along with her 72-year-old son, Mahendranauth Basdeo, disappeared on August 31. A missing person’s report was filed with the Montreal Police by the woman’s grandson Rajendra Basdeo, who also resides in Canada.

Rajendra had previously told this newspaper that both his grandmother and uncle had been residing together with his mother at an apartment that was located a short distance away from the new one. As a result, he said, on the day of the move, he was travelling between the two locations when the woman disappeared.

Surveillance footage later retrieved showed the two entering a grey Prius taxi just after noon on the same day.

The young man had registered his belief that his uncle, Mahandranauth Basdeo, had taken his grandmother to Guyana. He noted that though his grandmother has been living in Canada since the 1960s, she would regularly travel to Guyana, where they have family in Berbice. He was also concerned that the elderly woman did not have her medication.

The duo was found one day later, following checks made by Commander of ‘B’ Division, Clifton Hicken, who explained that after reading the report in the Sunday Stabroek, the police were able to verify that both the woman and her son were at the Number 64 Village.

It was noted too, that Rajendra Basdeo had received a call in Canada from relatives in Guyana, who informed him that both Jasmattie and Mahandranauth were in Guyana.

As a result, Rajendra’s mother, Jean Basdeo travelled to Guyana to locate her mother.