It was at his home in Cinq Arpent, Phoenix that Rajesh Chukowry, known as Khemraj, a 42 year old greengrocer, was arrested by police officers of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of Curepipe on Tuesday morning, December 6. The man alleged to have murdered Tina Roy Tupsy, 41, also known as Tina, was quick to confess to the charges against him. Rajesh Chukowry, who had injuries to his hand, was taken to Victoria Hospital, Candos. After receiving treatment, he was admitted to the ward and placed under observation. Rajesh Chukowry is under police surveillance.
Tina Tupsy was the concubine of Rajesh Chukowry. The couple lived in Bonne Veine, Quartier-Militaire at the home of Tina Tupsy’s mother. Tina Tupsy was a conductor on an individual bus, which served the Flacq/Curepipe route. After living as a couple for three years, they separated a month ago. Rajesh Chukowry then returned to his home in Cinq Arpents, Phoenix. However, he did not accept this breakup.
It was at 10 o’clock on Tuesday morning, December 6, that Rajesh Chukowry was arrested by the CID men of Curepipe, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sailesh Kumar Omrawoo. He confessed to inflicting several stab wounds to the chest of Tina Tupsy, who was standing at the door of the bus she was working on at the Ian Palach bus station in Curepipe. The suspect also handed over the murder weapon to the investigators.
Seven hours before she was killed, Tina Tupsy gave a statement at the Police Station in Quartier-Militaire for assaulting Rajesh Chukowry on Monday, December 5. She reported that she was walking along a road not far from her house to get to the front of the SaveMart supermarket to catch the bus to start her workday when Rajesh Chukowry, driving his van, a blue Toyota Hiace, blocked her path.
The victim says she went back to her house to avoid him, and when she came out of her house a second time to catch the bus, Rajesh Chukowry followed her and pulled her dress from behind with force. That’s how this navy-blue dress with flowers as a pattern was torn. Tina Tupsy produced this dress worth Rs 400 to the police as an exhibit. She cited that a resident of her village witnessed this scene. Dr. Maxwell Monvoisin, Principal Police Medical Officer, who performed the autopsy on the victim’s body on Monday evening, December 5, attributed her death to a stab wound to the chest, which pierced her heart.
The funeral of Tina Tupsy, who was the mother of two children, a girl and a boy, took place this Tuesday, December 6 at 12 p.m. in the presence of her relatives, friends, acquaintances and work colleagues. Since the news of her death became known, several people have flocked to her mother’s home in Bonne Veine, Quartier-Militaire. Her cremation took place in the cemetery of L’Agrément, Saint Pierre.
