82-Year-Old Chandarie Bhudhoo
Three men charged with the 2020 murder of 82-year-old pensioner Chandarie “Aunty Dayo” Budhoo were today unanimously found guilty by a jury in the Berbice High Court sitting in New Amsterdam.
The verdict was delivered before Justice Sandil Kissoon following a trial arising from the brutal killing of the elderly woman during a robbery at her Lot 83 Tain Settlement, Corentyne Berbice home between June 16 and 17, 2020.
Those convicted are Dhannyram Ramdhanny, 35; Kumar Bhagwandin, 29; and Narvindra Chillu, 25, all of Region Six.
At sentencing, the court is expected to receive a probation report, a report on the prisoners’ conduct while incarcerated, and psychiatric evaluations of the convicted men.
The State was represented by Attorney-at-Law Cecilia Corbin, while Ramdhanny and Bhagwandin were represented by Kevin Morgan of the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic. Chillu was represented by Attorney-at-Law Vinya Punwah in association with Chandra Sohan.
The trio had earlier pleaded not guilty when the trial commenced before Justice Kissoon, with a 12-member jury empanelled to hear evidence in the matter.
A key witness for the prosecution was former co-accused Kevin Mangar, also known as “Chubby,” who turned State witness. Mangar, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, testified that while he participated in planning the robbery and acted as a lookout, it was the three convicted men who entered Budhoo’s home and murdered her during the invasion.
Mangar told the court that he later received money to remain silent and recalled hearing the elderly woman screaming “for a long time” before she went quiet. He detailed the positions of the accused during the robbery and his own role outside the house.
Under cross-examination, Mangar admitted to involvement in other criminal activity, including a break-in at Clifton Settlement where jewellery valued at $1.3 million and $235,760 in cash were stolen. He pleaded guilty in that matter and is currently serving a four-year prison sentence. He also acknowledged smoking marijuana for the first time on the night of Budhoo’s killing, a point raised by the defence in challenging his reliability.
Defence attorneys highlighted alleged inconsistencies in Mangar’s testimony and questioned his motives for testifying against the accused. Mangar told the court that he was released at the Magistrate’s Court because he was a juvenile at the time, insisting, “Me na snitch on them.”
Budhoo’s body was discovered on June 17, 2020, bound and bearing injuries consistent with a violent attack. Following months of investigations, the accused were arrested and eventually committed to stand trial. Although Mangar was initially charged along with the others, he was later freed and subsequently became a prosecution witness.
Construction of the case concluded with the jury returning a unanimous guilty verdict against all three men. Sentencing has been deferred to January 09,2026 pending the submission of the court-ordered reports.
