‘Pandit’ walks free after no-case ruling in murder of Mahaica accountant
January 14 2025
A 67-year-old farmer, Khemraj Persaud, also called “Pandit,” of Unity, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, walked free on Tuesday after a magistrate upheld a no-case submission by the defence.
The ruling effectively brought the preliminary inquiry into the murder of Chormanie Tulsie, known as Anita, to an end.
The ruling was delivered by Principal Magistrate Allan Wilson at the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court, resulting in Persaud’s discharge.
He had been charged with murdering Tulsie, an accountant, between November 21 and 22, 2023, at Unity, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.
Persaud was defended by Dr. Dexter Todd, along with attorneys Dexter Smartt of Dr. Todd and Associates Law Firm, Glenn Hanoman, and Everton Singh-Lammy.
The case stemmed from the discovery of the body of 38-year-old Tulsie at Unity, Mahaica.
Tulsie, a mother, was found dead on the morning of November 22, 2023, in the lower flat of her house.
According to investigations, the incident occurred sometime between 19:30 hours on November 21, 2023, and 08:00 hours the following day.
At around 08:00 hours, Tulsie was discovered lying on the ground with a piece of cloth stuffed in her mouth and a knife lodged in the centre of her throat. She was clad in a multi-coloured nightdress.
The body was escorted to the Dr. C.C. Nicholson Memorial Hospital at Nabacalis, where she was officially pronounced dead.
Investigators had canvassed the area for CCTV cameras and interviewed several individuals as part of the investigation.
However, at the close of the prosecution’s case, the defence submitted that there was no case for Persaud to answer, a position ultimately accepted by the court, leading to his release.
