Andrea suspected of murder, woman also goes to court | Local news

Director of the Public Prosecution Service (DPP) Roger Gaspard has ordered the police to charge a man with the murder of Registrar Andrea Bharatt.

Investigators told the Express they intended to bring the charges overnight, with the intention of bringing the 24-year-old Malabar man to court today.

The man was reportedly in the vehicle when Joel Balcon kidnapped Bharatt in Arima on January 29.

The instructions were given by the DPP yesterday afternoon.

Investigators said Gaspard had also instructed the man’s wife – a 37-year-old – to be charged with receiving stolen items.

Balcon died of blunt force trauma

Balcon died Monday afternoon at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

His autopsy conducted yesterday at the Forensic Science Center in Federation Park found that he had died of blunt force trauma.

His injuries included brain fractures, several broken ribs, bleeding from his internal organs, burns on his back (possibly from a Taser), right eye contusion, bleeding in the brain, and damage to the legs and shoulders.

The autopsy was performed by pathologist Dr. Eastlyn McDonald Burris.

Balcon, also known as Devon Charles, was the second person to die while in police custody.

Andrew Morris, 35, of Tumpuna Road, Arima, died in Arima Hospital on February 1, but his death was reported by police on February 3.

Police said he was taken to hospital after sustaining injuries trying to escape.

A post-mortem conducted Monday at the Forensic Science Center was inconclusive.

Relatives ordered a second private autopsy performed Tuesday by pathologist Prof. Hubert Daisley at Simpsons Shalom Chapel in Couva.

This post-mortem said Morris died of blunt trauma, which caused his lungs to collapse.

Andrea’s funeral tomorrow

Bharatt’s funeral is expected to take place tomorrow.

Relatives told the Express that her body will be taken to the family’s home where a small ceremony with close relatives will be held at 9:00 am.

From there, her body will be transported as part of a procession past the Arima Magistrates’ Court before being taken to the Faith Assembly Church in Arouca, where her funeral service will take place from 11am.

This service is expected to be livestreamed.

Bharatt will be cremated at the Belgroves Funeral Home in Tacarigua.

The results of a post-mortem on Bharatt’s body on Monday were inconclusive.

However, a second private autopsy conducted the following day at Boodoo’s Funeral Home in Cunupia determined that she died from blunt trauma to the head and bleeding.

Secretary of National Security Stuart Young told the Express on Tuesday that he has requested a report from the Forensic Science Center.

“I have faith in the forensic pathologists at the Forensic Science Center. I await the outcome of this report, ”said Young.

About the case

A graduate of the University of the West Indies, Bharatt was a Clerk at the Arima Magistrates’ Court. On the afternoon of January 29, she and a colleague at work got into a cab on King Street, Arima, according to her. The taxi, a Nissan Versa, had false H plates. Bharatt and her boyfriend were in the backseat. There was a man in the passenger seat. The friend was dropped off in Cleaver Heights, Arima shortly afterwards. Bharatt never made it to her home on Arima Old Road, Arima, where she lived with her father, Randolph Bharatt. He called his daughter’s phone, but a man replied that she could not be reached. The father begged her to speak to her, but the man replied, “This is about money. If you don’t pay the ransom, I’ll cut off your daughter’s ears and send it to you. “ Her body was found in an abyss in the heights of Aripo on February 4. Operations in the area in the days after resulted in two additional sets of skeletal remains being found.