The serenity of Arena Road, Freeport, was disturbed yesterday after retiree Cyril "Ramesh" Maharaj was found bludgeoned to death in his living room yesterday afternoon.
Police said they received information that Maharaj, 70, had a confrontation with a man who returned and hit him in the head, killing him. However, residents and relatives of the deceased believe he was killed by an intruder. Police, relatives and residents agreed the incident took place around 1 pm.
Maharaj was found in his living room after relatives checked on him as he was not responding to telephone calls. A neighbour said a man from the area was seen in Maharaj's yard around 1.30 am yesterday morning and they suspect the man may have had something to do with his death.
Speaking with the media at the scene yesterday, Maharaj's sister Leela Ramoutar said in her 74 years living in the area, nothing like that had ever happened. She said the community was a place where one could go to sleep with the doors open and wake in the morning without an incident.
About her brother, she said: "He don't trouble anybody. His brother have open heart surgery today (yesterday) and his mother went away to be with the brother and this now come and happen."
Meanwhile, Tobago police are probing the circumstances surrounding the death of a taxi driver, after he was found dead at the side of the road by passers-by.
Gilbert Thomas, 60, of Zion Hill, Belle Garden, was found around 9.30 pm on Sunday along the Mt Hay Road. The victim's vehicle was also found on its hood a short distance away at Orange Hill Road.
Initially, investigators thought Thomas' injuries were as a result of an accident but when the District Medical Officer examined the body, what appeared to be multiple stab wounds were found. Tobago police have ruled the incident a homicide and investigations are continuing. An autopsy is expected to be conducted to determine the cause of death.