Woman watches house burn

RUBETH Mathura related to her son, how she had to go down on her knees and beg for her life, when two men stormed her home and threatened to burn her alive in the house during the early morning hours of yesterday.

Mathura, 62, of Chickoree Trace, Pluck Road, San Francique, also said her assailants eventually tied her to a tree where she was forced to watch helplessly as they torched the house. Police sources told Newsday they are working on information which suggests that a 20-year-old dispute over the boundary lines between Mathura’s property and an adjoining piece of land, may be the reason for the arson attack. A 70-year-old man and his 40-year-old son were detained by police, hours after the attack. Up to late yesterday evening, they were still being questioned by police.

Reports on the incident indicate that around 2 am on Tuesday, the fire was started at Mathura’s wooden house. No one came to her assistance as her nearest neighbours live at least a mile away. The community is mainly rural, with the villagers engaging in agriculture. Siparia Fire officials said reports revealed that firemen were not contacted to deal with the fire. The station was informed of the incident only the next day, by police officers from the Siparia CID. Investigations have since been launched by the police and fire officers to determine the exact cause of the blaze.

Mathura’s son, Narace, informed Newsday that a High Court action was brought against his mother over the boundary line of the land. Narace further said that the family was often threatened to vacate the property. He said the threats grew more intense following the death of his father last year, which left Narace’s mother virtually alone in the house. Narace said his mother told him two men whom she knew, attacked her while she was asleep. “She told me they throw gas and kerosene all over the house and told her they going to burn her alive.” “They took her two cocoa-pod ‘beras’ (gold bracelets) and $500 from her pocket. But she begged and begged for her life, and eventually they carried her outside, tied her with rope to a tree and then set the house alight.” Narace said. Ag Insp Michael Wells and Cpl Oliver are leading invesigations.