Farmer sentenced to hang for Boxing Day murder

Justice Malcolm Holdip sentenced Anand Boodram, 37, of Poui Trace, to death for the murder on December 26 of Brian Maharaj, also 36, of Poui Trace. Boodram had been on trial before the judge and a jury of 12 members for the murder, in which Maharaj, also a cattle farmer, was shot in the chest. The men, who were friends, lived close to each other.

Prosecuting the case, senior state attorneys Shabanna Shah and Stacy Lallo Chong called witnesses who were fellow villagers of both the accused, Boodram and Maharaj.

The State led evidence that at about 4 pm on that Boxing Day, Boodram drove to Maharaj’s home and called out to him.

When there was no repsonse, the judge and jury were told, Boodram returned to Maharaj’s home about an hour and a half later and when he saw Maharaj in front of his (Maharaj’s) house, he shouted, “Bring back meh thing for meh.” State witnesses testified that they were liming under Maharaj’s house when, shortly after 5 pm, they heard an explosion. State attorney Shah told the jury that when an explosion was heard, his friends and fellow villagers heard Maharaj let out a stifled and painful sound which sounded like, “Ouch!” Maharaj then stumbled and fell to the ground and died from a gunshot wound to the chest.

One of the state witnesses testified that when he looked around, he saw the accused at the back of the house making his way into the bush, holding a long object with a wooden handle which resembled a gun. Justice Holdip and the jury were told that Boodram hid in a camp in a bushy area along Poui Trace but his uncle, Carl Boodram, went into the bush and fetched him. Boodram was taken to the Moruga Police Station, where he gave himself up.

Attorney El Farouk Hosein defended Boodram and a statement which he had given to the police was tendered and read to the jury. It stated Maharaj had attacked him on his cattle farm and during the scuffle, the gun with which Maharaj had confronted him went off and the latter was shot in the chest. The judge sent the jury in at 1.30 pm to deliberate on a verdict after he had summed up the case. They returned at 3 pm for further directions. They then retired for 30 minutes and the foreman announced that Boodram was guilty as charged. Holdip then sentenced Boodram to hang.