Mahaica court dismisses murder charge against man accused of fatal stabbing

A Mahaica Magistrate has dismissed a murder charge against Khemraj Persaud, ruling that the prosecution failed to present any evidence linking him to the killing of Choormanie Tulsie, called Anita, at Unity, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Persaud had been charged with murder, contrary to common law, in relation to the woman’s death between November 21 and 22, 2023.

Tulsi, a former accountant attached to CAMEX Restaurants Inc, was found dead with one stab wound to her throat. The mother of one was found in the lower flat of her home at Lot 26 Unity, Mahaica, ECD. The woman had resided at the family house with her five-year-old son, who, from previous media reports, witnessed the murder.

Police stated that Tulsi was last seen alive when she collected her son from a family member in the same village. However, the gruesome discovery was made at about 08:00h on the day in question. She was found lying on the ground with a piece of cloth stuffed inside her mouth and a knife stuck to the centre of her throat.

The prosecution closed its case on August 15, 2025, after calling several witnesses, following which the defence filed a no-case-to-answer submission.

In written arguments, defence attorneys Glenn Hanoman, Dr Dexter Todd, Everton Singh-Lammy, and Dexter Smartt contended that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case, as there was no direct, circumstantial, or forensic evidence linking Persaud to the offence.

After reviewing submissions from both sides, Magistrate Allan Wilson upheld the defence’s arguments and discharged the accused.

According to attorney Dexter Smartt, the Magistrate said he examined the evidence led by the prosecution, the defence submissions and the prosecution’s response before concluding that there was no evidence confirming the accused’s involvement, no link between Persaud and the crime and no confession of any kind.

One of the central weaknesses identified by the court was the evidence of the deceased’s son, who was at home at the time of the incident. In his statement to Police, the child named another man, whom he called “Jeremiah”, as the person who attacked his mother.

The child allegedly told investigators that this individual had a knife to his mother’s neck and that he saw blood flowing from the wound. At no point did the child say he saw Persaud at the house or implicate him in the killing.

During cross-examination, both the lead investigating rank and another Police officer acknowledged that the child never identified Persaud as the attacker. Despite this, there was no evidence presented that Police interviewed or pursued the individual named by the eyewitness.

Police witnesses also admitted that fingerprint dusting was limited and that no forensic material connected Persaud to the offence. The court noted that these omissions weakened the prosecution’s case rather than advancing it.

In their submissions, the defence relied on established legal principles governing no-case-to-answer applications, arguing that an accused person cannot be committed to stand trial unless the prosecution establishes a prima facie case.