adminFreedom Mupanedemo Midlands Correspondent
A GWERU family wants police to exhume the body of a relative buried three weeks ago for a postmortem as they now suspect foul play. Rabson Chinembiri, 31, was found hanging from the roof of his family home in Mkoba Village 13 early last month.He was buried at the family plot on the outskirts of Gweru, but no postmortem was conducted.
His relatives have chased away Chinembiri’s widow, Gloria, who was with him when he allegedly committed suicide. Relatives told Chronicle yesterday they now suspected foul play and want the police to exhume his body so that a postmortem could be conducted.
“We believe Rabson didn’t commit suicide,” said a family spokesman. We’ve engaged the police at Nehanda Police Station and made our position clear – we want the body exhumed and a postmortem conducted. We made consultations and made our own investigations. The whole family suspects foul play.”
The relative said the sudden death of Rabson was a shock to most of them, and consequently they allowed the body to be buried without being taken for a postmortem.
He added: “It never crossed our minds that the body needs to undergo a postmortem because we were still in shock. I think we should have allowed the police to do their job, especially the investigating officer. We made a big mistake.”
The relative said the first person who was called by Chinembiri’s wife gave a different statement from hers to the police.
“Everything is just suspicious,” said the relative. “The first person to witness the incident, neighbour Peter Tambo, told the police that Rabson had his feet resting on a stool but the wife says the stool was some distance away and this alone raises a lot of questions.”
The relative said police yesterday advised them to write an affidavit explaining why they needed the body exhumed. The family is obliging. Tambo stood by his statement which he gave to the police when he was contacted yesterday.
“I was the first to be called by his wife after the incident and when she came to me she was crying. She was wailing and shouting that her husband had died. I dashed to their house and found the man’s body dangling but the feet were touching on a stool which was on the floor right under the body,” said Tambo.
He said he was surprised that the body did not go for a postmortem in the first place.
“I heard my neighbours now want a postmortem but I think the postmortem was supposed to be done before the burial,” he said.
Police spokesperson for Midlands province Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko yesterday said he was still to get details regarding the family’s request.
Online Reporter