Female taxi driver found dead, car missing

By Isanella Patoir

A 47-year-old female driver was found dead on Sunday with her head down in a drain at Lust-en-Rust, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

She was identified as Indira ‘Jenny’ Bipat. The News Room understands that the woman’s car, a sliver Toyota Axio PXX 4114, is missing along with her phone.

Bipat lived at Lot 18 Samaroo Dam, Klien Pouderoyen WBD with her 18-year-old daughter Tharishma Samaroo and 24-year-old son, Deokaran Samaroo.

The News Room understands that Bipat worked as a security guard for the past 18 years but left six months ago to work as a taxi driver to provide for her children.

Her son told the News Room that his mother left home about 5:30pm on Saturday and said she would be back in an hour or so.

Residents in Lust-en-Rust found the woman’s body head down at the side of the road at about 7:00hrs on Sunday.

She was found wearing a green pants and a white t-shirt -the same clothing she left home with. No marks of violence were observed on the body and it is unclear at this time how Bipat died.

Her daughter was inconsolable.

“She was just a normal taxi driver but she is a housewife in and out.”

“I have an education…she do everything to make sure I get my future secure so whatever she do as a side business was to help me,” the tearful young lady told the News Room.

Tharishma said her mother would usually return home by 7:00pm every night but when she did not show up Saturday, Tharishm became worried and kept calling her mother’s phone but it went unanswered.

“So when she did not come home after 7, I knew something was wrong and a straightforward person like that, she doesn’t have her phone off,” Tharishma said.

The siblings filed a missing person’s report at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station when their mother did not return Sunday morning.

According to Tharishma, the Goed Fortuin taxi base said her mother received a call and said she was going on a private drop and will not return to the taxi base.

Tharishma said she does not know anybody who would want to harm her.

“I can say my mother is hot-headed… she is straight forward.”

A grief stricken Tharishma said, “I just got a call from the Police…soon as they say they wanted to talk to me, I had the feeling.”

The son identified his mother’s body which is presently at Ezekiel Funeral Home awaiting a post mortem.

The single mother worked at the taxi service for the past six months.

Her husband died from heart-related complications in 2013.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story initially stated that Bipat’s stolen vehicle was a Toyta Raum, however, it is her Siler Toyota Axio vehicle. News Room apologises for the error.