BERBICE MURDERS: Robbers hid in property overnight; jewellery, phone cards recovered

By Michael Jordan

Business couple Subnauth Budraj and Sarasuatie Budraj were robbed and murdered in their Yakusari, Black Bush Polder home by two villagers who set the property alight to cover their tracks.

The stunning revelation came today after police, aided by villagers, tracked down one of the killers, who had been wounded during the attack.

He was reportedly found in a house some 400 meters away from where the slain couple lived.

Police recovered jewellery, some of which bore the victims’ names, and several phone cards during their search.

Under police interrogation, the man, who had a wound on one arm, told police that he and another villager murdered Subnauth and Sarasuatie Budraj. He then led police to his alleged accomplice who was also detained.

The suspects are said to be aged 27 and 35. They reside in a street behind the Budraj family.

Police lauded villagers who assisted them with vehicles and provided information that helped them to crack the case.

HID OVERNIGHT IN LIQUOR STORE

In his confession, one of the suspects reportedly said that he and his accomplice had concealed themselves in the couple’s bottom-house liquor establishment on Monday night.

They then attacked Mr. and Mrs. Budraj during the early hours of Tuesday morning. The suspect reportedly indicated that their sole intention was robbery, but the victims recognized the intruders and the bandits then murdered them.

After gathering up jewellery, phone cards and other items, the robbers set a fire near a cooking gas cylinder they had tampered with. They then fled.

Their intention was to make it appear as if the couple had perished in a fire but the subsequent explosion at around 04.00 a.m on Tuesday alerted neighbours, who managed to help extinguish the blaze.

Police and firefighters then found the bodies of Subnauth Budraj, 68, called ‘Bull Boy,’ and his wife, Sarasuatie Budraj.

Mr. Budraj’s body bore several chop wounds and was partially burnt, while Mrs. Budraj’s body bore a stab wound to the neck. One of her arms had been burnt.

BLOOD TRAIL

Arriving at the scene, detectives reportedly observed a trail of blood and suspected that one of the killers had been wounded. With assistance from residents, they scoured the area and eventually located one of the suspects in a house some 400 meters away. The man had a wound on one arm.