OPR probing death of murder suspect at Leonora Police Station

One day after confessing to killing his wife and dumping her body in a trench at De Groot-Enkline, Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara (WCD), 44-year-old Hemat Kumar Mohamed’s lifeless body was found in his cell at the Leonora Police Station on Saturday.

Mohamed of lot 645 De Groot-Enkline, Uitvlugt, was accused of murdering his wife, 46-year-old Shavannie Hanoman, on June 24, 2026.

According to reports, at around 11:24h on Saturday, Mohamed’s son took lunch for him, and as he made his way down to the station lockups, he called out to his father but got no response. He later discovered his father hanging from a white vest that was tied to the grill of the window.

An alarm was raised and the suspect was subsequently escorted to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) said in a statement today that the Office of Professional Responsbility (OPR) has launched an investigation into the man’s death.

Mohamed was arrested hours after his wife’s body was found submerged in a canal, a short distance from where they lived.

It was reported that Hanoman, also called “Bo,” a housewife, was reported missing after she failed to return home on Wednesday. On Thursday at about 08:30h, residents discovered her body floating in a trench in the community and alerted the Police. Based on Police reports, an examination revealed injuries to the woman’s neck and other parts of her body.

While in custody, Mohamed was interrogated and related that his wife told him she would be returning home late and did not want him accompanying her; but he still followed her on his motorcycle. He told investigators that he confronted her at a bridge, where an argument developed.

“I just jook she two times,” he reportedly told investigators during his confession. Police said Mohamed admitted that after being shoved during the confrontation, he took out a knife and stabbed Hanoman twice – once to the chest and once to the chin – before pushing her into the trench. He also told investigators that the knife fell at the scene.