No birth certificate for baby found in fridge, funeral on hold

His parents Cindy Gail Sooknanan, 22, and Kimraj Jorai were unable to obtain a birth certificate yesterday to proceed with burial. Relatives said to obtain the death certificate, the parents first have to provide the birth certificate. As such, initial plans for a funeral which was tentatively set for today, had to aborted.

Sooknanan, who is unemployed, lives with her father Rajesh Sooknanan, 42, and two-year-old daughter at Sewlal Trace, Fyzabad.

On the morning of July 1, Sooknanan gave birth inside a wagon which was parked in the driveway of relatives’ home at Chatoor Avenue, Fyzabad. She was seven months pregnant.

After step-uncle Crious Titus, 38, a shoemaker, delivered the baby, the parents and Sooknanan’s mother left on the assumption they were going to the Siparia District Health Facility for medical care.

But minutes later, Sooknanan’s mother returned saying her daughter opted to go by a private doctor at Cocoyea Village.

The parents told police the doctor, who remained in custody up to last evening, suggested they leave the baby with him and return the following day.

The doctor promised to take the baby to hospital but checks revealed that this had not been done.

On Monday, members of the Homicide Investigations Bureau (Region III) and Mon Repos CID, acting on information, executed a search warrant at the doctor’s office. They found the baby’s body stuffed in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator inside a black plastic bag.

The following day, forensic pathologist Dr. Valerie Alexandrov performed an autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre in St James. He concluded the baby died of natural causes due to complications arising out of a lack of medical care after premature birth. He said had immediate medical care been administered, the newborn had a 75 per cent chance of survival.

Up to last evening police were interviewing the doctor, 60, who had been in police custody since Monday evening.