A 47-year-old labourer has made his first court appearance following his arrest last week on a charge of murdering a 28-year-old club cricketer in Trinidad. Rakesh Jaggernauth, who also goes by the alternative names Rakesh Lalman and “Bowlin” and resides in Hermitage Village close to San Fernando, was taken into custody by law enforcement in Couva this past Saturday.
On yesterday’s hearing before San Fernando Master Shabaana Shah, the formal murder charge was formally read out in open court. Court documents allege that between March 16 and 17, Jaggernauth killed Rashme Deoajit at a property on Boodram Trace in Granville, Cedros. The charge was officially filed by police constable La Rode on Wednesday, and Jaggernauth was not required to enter a plea at this early procedural hearing.
Jaggernauth was represented in court by defense attorney Krysan Rambert, while the case was prosecuted by acting police sergeant Reagan Ramanan. After Shah walked the defendant through his legal rights, bail was denied, and Jaggernauth was ordered to be held in official custody. His next scheduled court appearance is set for April 20.
Deoajit, the victim, was both an active club-level cricketer and a sales merchandiser. Her body was discovered by concerned relatives, who gained entry to her Granville home through a window after being unable to contact her. They found Deoajit unresponsive and covered in blood in her bedroom; an initial examination confirmed she had suffered multiple stab wounds and a cut to her throat.