A community is in shock following the brutal killing of 46-year-old Shavannie Hanoman, whose body was discovered in a canal near her home on Thursday morning. Her husband, 56-year-old Hemat Kumar Mohamed, is currently in police custody after allegedly confessing to the murder.
Hanoman and Mohamed had been together for 26 years, though their relationship had recently become strained, leading Hanoman to move out of the family home earlier this month. Despite this, she had returned on Wednesday to prepare a meal for her family.
According to police reports, a confrontation ensued when Hanoman attempted to leave the residence later that evening to return to her mother’s home in Cornelia Ida. Mohamed told investigators that he became enraged after an argument broke out at a bridge near the home.
Their daughter told police that she witnessed her father following her mother out of the house, marking the last time Hanoman was seen alive.
Under questioning, Mohamed reportedly admitted to the attack, stating, “I just juk she two times.”
He provided a detailed account of the incident to investigators, claiming: “Last night (Wednesday) she left say she a go home late after 19:00 hours and she nah wan me follow she, me ride out behind she and when me reach at de bridge me tell she leh she son carry she home. We start argue and she chuck me so me tek de knife and juk she two times one to she chest and de other to she chin then me push she in de trench and de knife drop right deh.”
Following his confession, Mohamed led police ranks to his residence to identify the bedroom where he had retrieved the murder weapon. He further accompanied investigators to the wooden bridge at De Groot, where he pointed out the exact location where he allegedly stabbed his wife and disposed of her body in the canal.
Hanoman’s body was recovered from the canal at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Thursday. The investigation into the circumstances of the domestic dispute and the subsequent killing is ongoing, and Mohamed remains detained at the Leonora Police Station.
