COPS QUIZ WOMEN IN TEACHER’S MURDER

NORTH Eastern Division police were up to late yesterday questioning four people, among them two women, in connection with the chopping death of retired school teacher, Ralphy Ramcharan whose body was found submerged in a river off Black Dirt Trace, Barataria, on March 26.

Three of the four, including one woman, were held in Tobago last Thursday by Homicide officers Insp Broome and acting Cpl Nurse.  Officers, under Cpl Francis Vidale, and including acting Cpl Hollis Jacobs and WPC Suzette Martin went to the Sister Isle that day and brought back the trio early yesterday. The three reportedlly fled to Tobago after Ramcharan’s murder.  The other woman was picked up on Saturday and the four, ages 18, 20, 22 and 23, from St Joseph, were detained at the Barataria/El Socorro Police Station. Senior police officers told Newsday that they were getting conflicting reports from the foursome, but that charges are likely to be laid soon.

Ramcharan, a retired Mathematics teacher had left his home on March 25 to tutor a student in the Curepe area, according to a female relative. However, Newsday was reliably informed yesterday that when Ramcharan arrived at the student’s home, he was told that the child was tired. As a consequence, police said Ramcharan, a Citizen Alliance candidate in the 2002 general election, went to a bar, where he met the two women.

It is unclear what happened after that, but police suspect he gave some people a ride in his vehicle and later ended up dead in the river, located south of the Maritime Plaza. The 41-year-old man, of Sunflower Drive, Debe, was found on the morning of March 26 by three gardeners who were going to attend to their crops at Black Dirt Trace. Ramcharan’s hands were tied in front of his body and his feet were bound at the knees and ankles.  There were several lacerations to his arms and forearms and a large gash to the back of his head. Among other things, police found and seized a wheel spanner at the scene, along with personal documents belonging to the retired teacher. A post mortem performed on March 27 revealed he died as a result of multiple chop wounds.  Cpl Vidale of the Barataria CID is continuing investigations.