2018 : No respite from crimes and road deaths

The beginning of the year 2018 has been marked by a series of tragedies that have rocked the whole of Mauritius. Four days, eight deaths. Not a single day has passed without a death, be it either a murder or a fatal accident. Whatever the reason, the victims have left a grieving family behind, who will never forget this heart-wrenching opening of the year.

Accidents

Caudan Highway: Ramdass, a 55-year-old Britannia resident and an assistant truck driver, did not survive his injuries on Thursday 4th January after an accident. An Omnicane truck carrying charcoal and heading for Réduit tumbled onto the highway near Caudan, Port Louis. The truck was overturned in circumstances that are not fully known at the moment. The driver, Malgache Louis Marie, aged 60, was injured and admitted to the hospital.

A. G. Jeetoo Hospital, Port-Louis: A 57-year-old man was found dead in the bathroom at the Jeetoo Hospital in Port Louis. This incident occurred on January 1st, 2018. Dario M. had just undergone stomach surgery. During visiting hours, the patient could not be found, his relatives thus inquired with the nurses present. He was finally found inert in the bathroom. His relatives alleged that his death was due to medical negligence. According to them, the patient stayed in the bathroom for about two hours unattended. Alerted, the Department of Health says the autopsy revealed that the patient died of myocardial infarction.

St-Jean, Quatre-Bornes: Two inseparable brothers, Zinedeen and Falahuddeen Phutully, aged 19 and 24 respectively, departed from this world after a terrible accident occurred on board of their newly gifted BMW for the New Year. Their cousin Shaheel, 19, is still in the intensive care unit. The parents are devastated after losing their two sons in the wee hours of Monday morning, on a New Year's Day. The car hit a tree and ignited under the violence of the impact. A double tragedy that they do not think they can ever recover from. Zinedeen was driving his BMW with his older brother Falahuddeen and their cousin Shaheel, all inhabitants of Stanley, Rose-Hill. The state of health of Shaheel is considered critical.

Murders

Fond du Sac: A provisional charge of murder was brought against Akshay Baboolall and his brother Varun in Pamplemousses Court on Wednesday. Ootam, 37, was killed after falling under the 4x4 of Akshay Baboolall. The 14-year-old son of Ootam witnessed the tragic end of his father. It all started when the members of the Ghoorbin family was celebrating the New Year at home at the back of their house on Tuesday night. Around 11 pm, an off-roader stopped in front of their residence. According to Gautam Ghoorbin, Akshay Baboolall put his radio on high volume and was releasing smoke in their yard. When they asked the latter to stop the noise, he left in a fury and returned with his brother Varun and his cousin. After heated arguments, Akshay rolled over Ootam and his father with his  4x4 and then fled. Ootam did not survive his injuries and his father's condition is considered critical. During his interrogation, Akshay Baboollal explains that it was just an accident and it happened in self-defense. His brother Varun asserted his rights to silence while their cousin is actively sought by the police.

Flic en Flac: Tragic end for Kelyon Kedaree, an 18-month-old baby, at Flic en Flac, this Tuesday, January 2nd. It was in the early hours of Wednesday morning that the mother noticed the death of her son at home. The child was in the arms of a neighbour when both fell into a gutter not far from the beach. The incident occurred while the parents were attending a party on the beach. The infant had been entrusted to his grandmother.

The baby's mother, Rebecca Kedaree, explains that a friend wanted to help the grandmother who had a bag in her hand. “He took the child and he left. He was under the influence of alcohol. When he came back, he told us that the baby was sleeping. I put my baby to bed but he was already dead. My baby fell into a gutter,” narrates Rebecca.

SAMU, that was summoned to the scene, confirmed the child's death. The autopsy performed by Dr. Sudesh Kumar Gungadhin found a broken liver. The neighbour, who escaped unscathed, was stopped by the police. Rebecca has accused Gerald of murder.

Tamarin: On Tuesday, 65-year-old Lelio Zéphire killed his ex-wife Doris l'Enflé, 38, with a rifle. He then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. The Criminal Investigation Division of Black River took the testimony of the victim's sister, who helplessly witnessed the scene. According to the first information gathered, Doris L'Enflé, a resident of Cité EDC, Tamarin and Lelio's ex-wife, went to his home to see her son. On the spot, a dispute broke out between Lelio and Doris. In a fit of temper, Leli took a shotgun and fired two shots at Doris. After committing the irreparable, he shot himself in the head.

After hearing gunshots at Lelio's home, neighbours rushed in and alerted the police. Several police units, including the Black River CID and the scientific police, went to the crime scene. The shotgun was found in the hands of Lelio, who was covered with his own blood. The police quickly came to the conclusion that Lelio Zephir committed suicide after killing Doris. Both bodies were transported to the Victoria Hospital morgue in Candos for autopsy.

The shotgun was recovered by the scientific police and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for ballistic analysis. The first elements of the investigation indicated that there was a harsh dispute between the two protagonists concerning the custody of their 15-year-old son. At 7:00 pm, the police were still on the crime scene, where they were gathering information. The child was not there at the time of the shooting.