Woman burnt with ‘canari’ of hot oil succumbs
- relatives call in the police
The police on the East Coast of Demerara are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the death of 33-year old Kumarie Beharry called ‘Shanta’, who succumbed at theGeorgetown Hospital three days after she suffered severe burns about her body.
The police review is stemming from the arousal of suspicions among the woman’s relatives, while they were preparing her for burial yesterday.
Kumarie Beharry
Family members observed that the woman’s body bore extensive burns contrary to what was reported to them.
This is coupled with the fact that they were only told about her condition two days after she was admitted to the hospital by the persons who were eyewitnesses to her burning.
In fact, it was not until the relatives were made aware of her condition that a report was made to the police.
Beharry who resided at Mon Repos, with her husband, worked as a kitchen hand in a food business in the same village, making egg balls and pholourie.
Relatives were initially told that on Friday last a huge ‘canari’ full with hot oil fell on the woman, burning her from the hip down.
Her brother, Rakesh Singh, told this newspaper that he learnt of his sister’s plight on Sunday and he immediately went to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he learnt that she was in a critical state in the Intensive Care Unit.
He subsequently reported the matter to the police at Beterverwagting and Vigilance on the East Coast of Demerara.
“De people wha she ah wuk with nah report de matter. Dem say dem nah know dey had to do it,” Singh told this newspaper.
Singh did not get to see his sister that day but returned the following day and saw her briefly. A few hours later Beharry succumbed.
According to Singh, relatives were told that Beharry’s foot had struck a fire wood under the ‘cahari’ and it overturned on her with more than two gallons of hot oil.
Following the post mortem examination, relatives were told that Beharry received burns to her lower body, but it was not until they were preparing her for cremation yesterday that they realized the actual damage to her body.
“Dem tell me she get burn from she hip go down, all two foot burn out. But I see she belly burn, she neck burn, all pon she ears and nose burn,” Singh explained.
This newspaper confirmed their concerns with photographs taken of the woman’s body.
They said that they also observed what appeared to be black and blue marks as well as evidence of a broken right hand.
Interestingly, the dead woman’s husband, who belatedly turned up at the funeral parlour yesterday, recalled the woman’s last words which could incriminate one of the persons who was an eyewitness to last Friday’s incident.
He claimed that his wife had blurted out the name of the persons, saying that they will go tojail since she would not survive.
“This whole thing sound fishy and people gat fuh talk wha really happen,” said Singh, who as well as other relatives, are not convinced that Beharry was burnt by accident.
The police were quickly summoned and they assured that they will review the matter and prepare a report.
