Just over a week into the new year, Guyana is just one short of hitting double figures in terms of the number

Anita Baichan

of murders that have occurred up to Saturday.
The gruesome murder of a Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice couple early Saturday morning brought the country’s murder toll up to the staggering figure of nine deaths in just nine days.
With four murders alone on January 1, a bloody trend seems to be developing, with at least one murder every other day up to Saturday.
The bloodshed began mere minutes into the New Year. On January 1, about 00:10h, 24-year-old Asif Hafeez of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice, was imbibing with another man in the village when an argument ensued between them. During the confrontation, Hafeez was fatally stabbed to his neck.  He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Skeldon Hospital.
Then around 14:15h that same day, Ganesh Ramlakhan, 34, of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD), had an argument with his cousin during which he was also stabbed about his body. The injured man was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Later that night, around 21:30h, 20-year-old Deokumar Basdeo of Cane Grove, ECD, was involved in an altercation with a group of men in a motor vehicle and was subsequently found injured on the Cane Grove road. He was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he later succumbed.
An hour later, Dewaun Baksh, 22, of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), had an altercation with a group of men at Greenwich Park, EBE, during which he was fatally stabbed about his body.
Meanwhile, on January 3, 49-year-old Anita Baichan of Hope, West Coast Berbice, perished in a fire after two bandits set her house ablaze before escaping with cash and jewellery. According to reports, the men used duct tape to tie the hands and feet and cover the mouth of Baichan and her son, Moshim Khan, 28. They then started the fire and escaped; however, Khan, who sustained chop wounds, managed to roll out of the burning building. Efforts by him, with assistance from neighbours, to save his mother were futile.
Then on the following day, the body of 49-year-old Shahabudeen Haniff, a fisherman of Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, was found in the net of a fishing vessel that was working in the vicinity of the Berbice River.
On January 6, two armed men entered the home of 42-year-old Patrick Mohabir, of Belvedere, Corentyne. The businessman resisted the men and was shot and chopped by the perpetrators. He too died while receiving medical attention.
On Saturday around 03:00h, the Bush Lot couple – 81-year-old businessman Arthur Doodnauth Rajkumar and his reputed wife, Diane Chamanlall were found with multiple chop wounds about their bodies at their home.
According to reports, Police ranks, based on information received, went to the home, and as they approached the building, three men were seen jumping over a fence on the premises. The Police gave chase, but the men managed to escape.
Upon checking the house which was ransacked, the ranks found the couple, who were taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital where Rajkumar was pronounced dead on arrival and Chamanlall succumbed while receiving medical attention.
Four men have been arrested and are in custody, assisting with the investigation.