Female taxi driver was strangled – autopsy

Indira Bipat
Indira Bipat

Indira Bipat, the West Demerara taxi driver who was discovered dead in a clump of bushes at Lust-en-Rust, Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD) on Sunday morning, died as a result of strangulation, compounded by blunt trauma to the head.

A post-mortem examination was yesterday performed on the body of the mother of two by government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh.

The senior officers and relatives of Indira Bipat joined in prayers during the visit on Monday.

The discovery of Bipat’s body was made by residents of the community last Sunday around 7am. It is suspected that Bipat, called ‘Jenny’, 47, of Samaroo Dam, Klien-Pouderoyen, WBD, was a victim of a carjacking.

The Toyota Axio car she drove, PXX 4114, is missing.

Up to yesterday afternoon, a police source told Stabroek News that there had been no arrest in the matter. There have also been no sightings of Bipat’s car.

Bipat worked part-time as a taxi driver at Goed Fortuin Cabs.

Deokaran Samaroo, the dead woman’s son, had previously related to Stabroek News that she left home on Saturday afternoon between 5:30 pm and 6 pm, after receiving a phone call.

Before leaving home, she informed her children that she would return within an hour.

“I didn’t wait to see if she come home. I went and sleep early. This (Sunday) morning when I woke up, my sister tell me mommy didn’t come home. She say she called her phone but she didn’t answer,” Deokaran had said.

He also noted that it is unusual for his mother to stay out and work beyond 7:30 pm.

“After my sister tell me that, I go and made a report at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station. While I was there, a friend called and said they found a lady in Dairy [Parfaite Harmonie]. I still gave the police a statement and when I done, I went to La Grange Police Station because they are in charge of Dairy area. But while I was going, the police called my sister and said they need a relative to come and identify the woman they find,” the grieving son had related.

He said before he could have positively identified his mother, investigators asked him to provide a description of the clothing she was wearing. “She left home with a blue three-quarter pants and a t-shirt with some prints. After I told the police that, they said yes it was her,” Samaroo added.

He related that he was accompanied to the funeral home by an officer from the La Grange Police Station and he identified his mother.

On Monday afternoon, a team of senior police officers of ‘D’ Division visited Bipat’s home, where they offered words of comfort and prayers to her relatives.

Among the officers were Superintendent Rose, Chief Inspector Grant, Inspector Narine, Inspector Kooldeep and Sergeant 19429 Correia.

Pastor Archer, of Cops and Faith Network, was also present.