Jury shown bullets in Naraynsingh murder trial

JURORS yesterday held two of the bullets which were retrieved from the body of murdered Dr Chandra Naraynsingh. The 12-member jury and two alternates were given the bullet fragments to view, after the State, through Special Prosecutor Dana Seetahal, tendered them into evidence. The presentation of the bullets in the trial took place during the testimony of Senior Supt of Police Rodvan Bastien. He testified that he was at the post-mortem examination of Naraynsingh’s body 13 years ago, when she was killed. Naraynsingh was gunned down on June 29, 1994, in the car park at the Langmore Health Foundation where she worked. The man who pleaded guilty in the High Court to have committed the act — Shawn Parris — is one of the State’s main witnesses to testify in the case.

Yesterday, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Carla Brown-Antoine, told the jury in the San Fernando High Court that though accused Seeromani Maraj-Naraynsingh and Elton Ramasir did not pull the trigger to kill Naraynsingh, they are on trial because they allegedly participated in the commissioning of her killing. Called to testify yesterday before the jury and Justice Herbert Volney, Bastien said that on June 30, 1994, he went to the Forensic Science Centre where he met Dr Ramnath Chandu Lal. He also met then police corporal Ramdath Mahabir and four of Naraynsingh’s friends. Bastien testified that after Naraynsingh’s body was identified to Chandu Lal, he witnessed the pathologist perform a post-mortem examination on the body. Bastien told the jury, “I witnessed Dr Chandu Lal remove two lead missiles from the body.” The police officer testified that the pathologist placed the two lead missiles into a vial on which he placed markings. He also placed a number and the date — June 30, 1994.

That vial, Bastien said, was taken to the Forensic Science Centre’s laboratory where it was handed over to a scientific officer. Bastien said he witnessed  Chandu Lal fill out a post-mortem examination report, which he (Bastien) took into his possession. The post-mortem examination report outlined the wounds which Naraynsingh sustained when she was shot. It also stated the cause of her death, and Seetahal also tendered that into evidence yesterday. The post-mortem report was read to the jurors who heard that Naraynsingh died from shock and haemorrhage due to gunshot wounds. Yesterday’s hearing saw a steady stream of witnesses testifying for the State, with eight taking the witness stand during the three and a half hours of hearing of the murder trial. Also testifying were Justice of the Peace Amichan Sookram; Woman Police Corporal Hazel-Ann Patrick; WPC Mahalia Holder; Sgt Ramdath Mahabir; WPC Pauline Phillips; PC Fitzbert Forde, and PC Khemron Francis.

Francis endured the most gruelling cross-examination, when Ramasir’s lead attorney, Senior Counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, questioned him. Francis, who is attached to the Port-of-Spain Homicide Bureau, testified that he arrested Ramasir at his home at Gulf View Circular Drive, Gulf View, near San Fernando at 7.20 am on November 29, 2004. Francis told Volney and the jury that on that morning, he went with other police officers to Ramasir’s house. They met Ramasir, he added, coming out of his house. Francis said when he told Ramasir he was a suspect in the murder inquiry and was under arrest, Ramasir did not reply. Francis testified that he escorted Ramasir to the San Fernando CID Department, then to the Port-of-Spain Homicide Bureau where he handed over the murder accused to the lead investigator in the inquiry — Assistant Superintendent of Police Nadhir Khan.

Maharaj grilled Francis about a ten-hour visit with State witness Shawn Parris on October 10, 2004, at the Maximum Security Prison. Francis answered that he “may have” spoken to Parris about the Naraynsingh murder inquiry, and “may have” witnessed a statement given by Parris. In answer to Maharaj, Francis said he was aware that Parris had given oral and written statements to police when he returned to Trinidad from USA on June 16, 2000. Francis testified that he only became aware of those statements after Ramasir was arrested. Maharaj suggested to Francis that in a written statement which Parris had given in June 2000, he had mentioned the names Ken Morris, Clint James and “Rev,” but did not mention Ramasir. Francis replied that he could not say since he had not seen that statement.

Maharaj told Francis, “I suggest to you that the reason you are telling us that you cannot remember is because you knew of statements which Shawn Parris gave in June 2000, and you are hiding the contents of the oral and written statements because the name Elton Ramasir was not mentioned at all in relation to this, the killing.” Francis replied, “It is my duty to assist the court. If I have information to assist the court, I will give it.” Under cross-examination from Queen’s Counsel Karl Hudson-Phillips, Francis said he took a statement from State witness Junior Morris on December 3, 2004. Phillips testified that she was in the party of police officers led by Khan when Maraj-Naraynsingh was arrested. Phillips told the court yesterday that they went to Maraj-Naraynsingh’s home at Frederick Settlement, Caroni, at 6 am. The female accused was at the house along with her mother, nephew and step-daughter Anamika Naraynsingh. Phillps testified that when Khan told the accused of the report and was cautioned, she replied: “This was done before. This is so sad.”

The court heard that Maraj-Naraynsingh was taken into custody and escorted to the Homicide Bureau in Port-of-Spain. Two days later, she was placed on an identification parade and was positively identified at two identification parades. When cautioned again by Khan, she replied, “This is wrong. I had nothing to do with this. The people, whoever they are, I have never seen these people. I have only heard their names, but I don’t know these people.” When hearing resumes today, it is expected that one of the State’s main witnesses — Junior Morris — would be called to testify. Morris was placed by the State in a Witness Protection Programme. Accused Maraj-Naraynsingh is the third wife of prominent vascular surgeon Prof Vijay Naraynsingh. Murder victim Chandra was the professor’s second wife.