(Trinidad Guardian) It’s being described as an unfair and horrific tragedy, for 83-year-old Polly “Mama” Bahadoor to be murdered in the way she was—her head completely bashed in exposing her brain tissues and her face smashed into the skull.
Bahadoor was beaten to death with a piece of cylindrical metal allegedly by an 18-year-old relative.
She was a woman, whom family and residents alike say was a very quiet yet helpful, kind and caring person to everyone in the village.
Bahadoor suffered from arthritis in both knees and had to move around in a wheelchair.
However, when she was in her house she saw it fit and comforting to simply drag on her buttocks and crawl around.
Bahadoor was last seen in the kitchen dragging on the ground attempting to make her way into the living room to relax.
The last people heard from her on Sunday evening was shortly after 6 pm when her ear piercing and pore-opening screams rang out followed by her final words “O God.” Her lifeless frail body was found in a crouched position on the floor of the living room close to the front sliding glass door. The teenager was seen sitting near her body “very calm” by police officers who arrived at the scene.
Bahadoor’s daughter-in-law Seeramattee Sahadeo told the Guardian Media yesterday while at her home in Pierre Road that she was at home cooking when she heard the commotion.
“I was cooking dhalpurie and duck when I hear she scream out about two times and them she bawl out ‘O God’ and I hear like licks and I say O God don’t tell me (relative name called) beating she. By the time I run out and gone by the gallery and watch through the balusters I see him raise his hand holding something and I see her foot but it wasn’t moving and as I see him raise his hand I bawl out to him and say don’t do it…to stop it, but like he did done kill she already. I get frightened and run back to my place and lock the doors and called his mother telling her that he killed Polly,” Sahadeo said.
“I feel so frightened like I was going to get a heart attack…when I cool down I called the police,” she added.
Sahadeo said earlier that day at about 2 pm the teenager came to her in her home which is located to the back of Bahadoor’s house and told her that he loved her and everyone and wanted to take care of everyone.
Another close male relative said he saw the teenager minutes before the incident and thought that he was acting weird.
“He walked into the supermarket bareback and I was there and saw him and asked him what he wanted. He said he wanted water so I bought a nice water for him and told him to go home. It’s after he come and do this.”
Bahadoor’s only daughter of five children, Savitri, who was at the Forensic Science Centre on Monday said that less than two months ago the teenager was hospitalised for drug addiction and when he was discharged was sent to the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hos-pital for treatment where he allegedly escaped two days after.
Savitri blamed a close relative for allegedly hiding information from them about the teen. She also blamed her relative for her mother’s demise.
She said the relative failed to get help for the teenager and even left him unattended and unsupervised on Sunday for hours, “it could have been he or it could have been me too because I went to see about my mother at about 1.30 pm. I dyed her hair and changed her pampers and I told her I was coming back today (Monday) to polish her nails because she liked to pretty up.”
“I saw the boy that day too and maybe if I did notice anything strange about him I would have stayed with my mum a little longer but I didn’t I just told him where he was sitting had ants and he got up and started walking around the house a few times but I didn’t notice anything else like if his face changed or what…maybe if I did and I stayed back I would have been dead too,” Savitri said.
Savitri said her mother’s murder reminded her of one of her brothers who was killed 37 years ago. She said he was 20 years old then and was killed by an alleged drug addict while walking along Pierre Road.
“He was walking and a man was on the road and he asked him for a cigarette but my brother kept on walking and passed him. The man began following him and asked him again and when my brother turned around and said he don’t smoke the man took out a knife and stabbed him between the legs and yanked the knife up his groin area ripping him. He died…now 37 years after my mother has died under similar circumstances.”
Investigators said that they strongly believe that the suspect was under the influence of drugs and even after they arrested him they observed that he was acting erratically.
Up to press time, the teenager remained in police custody.
The autopsy was done on Bahadoor’s body late on Monday afternoon, however, the relatives were told that the results would not be ready until Tuesday.
