Although there are many questions yet to be answered, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) believes that 68-year-old Roma Dookeran, the Canada-based Guyanese whose body was found along Uniform Beach on Leguan Island a week ago was murdered.

A post-mortem examination has revealed that she died as a result of blunt trauma to the head and compression to the neck and as such an official investigation has been launched.

Commander of Regional Division #3, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Siwnarine, yesterday told the Stabroek News that no one has yet been arrested but they are currently pursuing several leads.

Dookeran also known as ‘Somatie’ of Toronto, Canada and also of Perth Village on the Essequibo Coast was a retired manager and had arrived in Guyana a week prior to the discovery of her body on March 17, to transact some business.

The post mortem which was performed on her remains yesterday by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh at the Ezekiel Funeral Home at Best on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) revealed that she died from brain haemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head and compression to the neck.

According to the police, the woman’s nephew, 45year-old Manoj Seree, had said that he had dropped his aunt off at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on March 14 at about 22:45hrs for her to board an American Airlines flight back to Canada.

But upon learning that she did not arrive home and unaware of her whereabouts, Seree said he and another family member, Baishan Lall Kuarlall, a medical doctor of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, decided to make checks at the Ezekiel Funeral Parlour when they saw on the GPF Facebook page that a body which shared a resemblance to their missing aunt, was discovered.

Meanwhile, the CCTV footage which was shared on Facebook showed that the woman was dropped off at the airport by her nephew who then left. However, she was not in possession of any significant luggage such as a suitcase but only a handbag.

The footage also showed that a few minutes after her nephew’s departure, Dookeran then boarded a taxi from the airport and according to reports, it took her to a Georgetown hotel and dropped her off.

Three days after reportedly being taken to the hotel, her partially nude body clad only in a black brassiere was discovered facing upwards on Uniform beach in Leguan, Essequibo River at about 07:12 hours. Police said they received a call from an unknown person who reported seeing the motionless body.

Upon arrival at the scene, police had the body picked up and transported to Parika Stelling in a private boat. On arrival at the stelling, the body was checked for marks of violence and black and blue marks were seen between the legs and on the side. The body was then escorted to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where it was officially pronounced dead and then taken to Ezekiel Funeral Parlour. The body was identified by the woman’s two nephews late on Wednesday and then by the woman’s son, Kevin Dookeran, the next day.