Daughters who allegedly confessed to killing dad described as ‘lazy’, ‘spoilt’ – by neighbours

By Kristen Macklingam 

“Lazy”, “introverted” and “spoilt” were some of the words used by neighbours to describe  the biological and adopted daughters who were yesterday charged for murdering their 64-year-old father, Roger Manikam. 

Manikam’s gagged body was found along the Coldingen Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara a few days ago.

Manikam’s 12-year-old daughter, his 18-year-old daughter Nalinie, her 24-year-old boyfriend Veeram Lall aka Adam Dias and his friend 23-year-old Devon Brown appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, jointly charged  for the indictable offence.

The four accused of the heinous crime were not required to plead to the charge when it was read to them by Magistrate Zameena Ali. The two sisters were remanded for murdering their 64-year-old father who they alleged had been sexually molesting them prior to his murder.

The 12-year-old adopted daughter of Manikam will be held at the Juvenile Detention Center in Sophia, Georgetown while the older daughter, Nalinie, will be held at the New Amsterdam Women Prison in Berbice, until their next court appearance which is scheduled for May 6.

According to the Prosecution, the now dead man’s daughters confessed to murdering him and stated that the plan was devised by Nalinie’s boyfriend, Lall.

On Saturday, last, the two girls allegedly lured their father into the kitchen of their Non Pariel home sometime late in the night. Nalinie is said to have allegedly chopped him with an axe.

They then dumped the body on the Railway Embankment at Coldingen.

Meanwhile, despite the claims of the man’s two daughters that he had been sexually molesting them, some relatives of Manikam have risen to his defense outside the Courts.  They are stating that the two girls carried out the act because they wanted the money he had obtained from the sale of a lumber yard he had owned previously.

NEIGHBOUR’S TAKE

INews was told by neighbours that the 12-year-old, who is Manikam’s adopted daughter, would give her father “a hard time” since she refused to attend school often while the older daughter did not assist in household chores or helping her father around the house.

This pushed the father, who is said to have been a sickly pensioner, to employ a maid that was also tasked with cooking meals for the family.

A woman who lives in the same street as the Manikam family stated that the older daughter did not speak to neighbours and “kept to herself”. The younger daughter is said to have been “a bit friendlier” and would occasionally speak to persons in their village.

ACQUISITION OF HOUSE, PROPERTY

A few days prior to Manikam’s brutal murder, the 12-year-old girl reportedly told neighbours “very soon” she and her sister would be the owners of the house they lived in and that her sister’s boyfriend had already promised to paint the entire house for them.

At that time the neighbours thought nothing of this statement since they were told by the girls’ father that he would have been returning to Canada in a month’s time as he was a citizen of that country and he had other children and relatives there as well.

However, on the day before Manikam’s body was discovered the older daughter, Naline, and her boyfriend is said to have approached another neighbour asking where they could purchase kerosene from.

“They asked her (the neighbour) how far does sell kero but we think that they should have known since they does go and come in the village plenty times a day and pass plenty shops. But little do we know that they had done (allegedly) kill the poor man and was trying to wash off and clean up. I hear they even use plenty bleach and thing and when the police come they had to carry away the mats and so because family say how the blood had spray up all over,” a source stated.

SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOUR

According to one person who lives a few houses away from the Manikam family, she was told by relatives of the now dead man that it was Naline’s adamant attitude with regards to her father’s cremation that roused the suspicions of investigators.

INews was further told that the girl had repeated arguments with her half-brothers about when her father should be cremated.

“She had wanted him to be cremated (quickly) on  Wednesday but the man’s two sons from a next woman telling she how they have to wait for the family to fly in from Canada before they do anything. And she carry on and created a scene about how he got to cremate when she says he has to. Even though she don’t have money to do it she wanted them to find money to do it when she said so,” this source related.

After displaying such behaviour, police ranks paid closer attention to the young woman’s behaviour and posture with regards to the entire ordeal and became suspicious as to her true involvement in the story.

Upon grilling Naline, her boyfriend, and the 12-year-old girl, police were able to conclude that the three individuals were withholding critical information about the man’s alleged disappearance and his murder.

Reports are that the younger sister broke down and confessed that they were responsible for Manikam’s death. She is said to have led the police to the spot where the axe that was used to deal the killing blow to the man, was hidden.

‘INNOCENT’ PLEA BEFORE CONFESSION

When the man’s body was found and investigations commenced into the matter, the two daughters had initially claimed that their father might have been killed after being robbed. Then they suggested that he might have been returning home from one of his drinking sessions and that his girlfriend should be questioned about it.

However, the involvement of the girls in the man’s murder came to light  after police ranks who were investigating the incident found a piece of rope at the Non Pariel home of the man, which appeared to have been a part of the rope that had been used to tie him up. This, and the elder daughter’s behaviour, were the breakthrough the police were looking for.