– 4 in custody

By Bhisham Mohamed

Days after receiving a sound trashing at a wake-house in Industry, East Coast Demerara, a painter succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Hetram Ramchand, 39, of Lot 51 Crown Dam Industry, East Coast Demerara, was beaten on Friday evening, and succumbed on Sunday evening.

Based on reports received, he had attended a wake in the village, and had been part of a gathering looking at a few men gambling. After the game of cards was over, an argument ensued among the players for money owned to each other. One of the players was a relative of Ramchand’s. This newspaper understands that the argument turned into a confrontation and then a scuffle. Ramchand, in a bid to defend his cousin, was lashed to the head, and fell to the ground.
The mob then turned on him, and dealt him a sound trashing for intervening. The men were subsequently put out of the wake-house.
Based on reports received, the injured Hetram Ramchand was escorted by a nephew to the Sparendaam Police Station to lodge a complaint, but while doing so, the sons of two popular businessmen in the community turned up and claimed that they had been assaulted by Ramchand. The two men were sent to the Georgetown Public Hospital to seek medical attention, but the trashed Ramchand was placed in the lockups.
Speaking with Guyana Times, Pooran Ramchand, father of the late Hetram Ramchand, explained that his son had been kept in the cell until Saturday evening, before he was taken to the hospital.
“Is after he catch a ‘fits’ because of the beating to the head (that) the police chain he and carry he to the hospital… Meh son dead while they had he chain to the bed,” the distraught man lamented.
The angry father recalled receiving a telephone call from the police at about 03:00h on Saturday, informing him that his son was involved in “lil story” and had been arrested.
“They never tell me that meh son was beaten and that he was at the wake when the fight bruk out… They never tell me that was meh nephew carry he to the police station…Them police know who does give them money, and they got to do everything to protect them people”, he charged.
It was not until he arrived at the police station that he realized how badly his son had been beaten. He contended that although the family had requested for the painter to be sent for medical attention, the Police officer in charge had refused to so do. As such, he is blaming the Police for his son’s death, and is calling on acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine to look into the matter.
In addition, he is asking Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan to intervene, so that some sort of justice can be given to the aggrieved family.
The Police, in a release, stated that four men have been arrested and are assisting with the investigations.
Ramchand’s body is at the GPHC morgue awaiting a post mortem.
He leaves to mourn his parents and two siblings.