An afternoon of drinking between two friends, against the backdrop of sex, ended in a bloody fight on the bank of the Patate River in Route Martinière, Suriname. One of the two men, Sanjay Leckraj, alias Maya, a 51-year-old tailor, lost his life in the early evening of Saturday 27 August. He died of asphyxiation due to neck compression. His alleged attacker, Edwin Doolub, known as Pallany, a 28-year-old bricklayer, was arrested. The latter was brought before the court in Souillac on Monday morning, 29 August, where he is facing a provisional charge of murder.
It was at about 8:40am on Sunday 28 August that a team of police officers from the Souillac Police Station, led by Sergeant Jognee, went to the bank of the Patate River in Suriname, after receiving a request regarding the discovery of a body. The crime scene was secured with yellow tape. Elements of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of Souillac, led by Sgt Figaro, also attended the scene. The lifeless body of Sanjay Leckraj was lying near a bridge. He was wearing a red t-shirt and blue shorts. He was lying in a right lateral position with a blue jacket next to his head.
Investigators found signs of a struggle on his neck, bruises on his left knee and swelling on his face. After an initial examination of the body at the scene by Dr Ananda Sunnassee, Police Medical Officer, the body was taken to the Victoria Hospital mortuary in Candos for an autopsy. The autopsy conducted by Dr Sunnassee attributed her death to asphyxiation due to compression of the neck.
A thorough investigation by the Souillac CID under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Mahendradeosingh Surnam and Assistant Superintendent of Police Satiajev Callychurn of the South Division CID led to the arrest of the suspect, Erwin Doolub, at around 10am on Sunday morning, 28 August.
Under intense questioning, he confessed that he had struck the victim several times. He explained that his action was motivated by the fact that he wanted to sexually abuse the victim, but faced with the victim’s refusal, he used the hard way to do it. He said he was able to satisfy his sexual urges because the victim was drunk. Initially, they were three friends to go to the bank of this river. Another man, who was with them, returned home earlier. The latter was initially arrested and detained before being released unconditionally on Monday morning, 29 August, after Ervin Doolub recounted the attack in great detail.
Ervin Doolub participated in a re-enactment of the incident on Monday 29 August. He told the CID investigators where he was with the victim on the afternoon of Saturday 27 August. After his court appearance, Ervin Doolub was taken back to the cell at the Bue-Bay Police Station.
