Despite the heroic efforts of his brother to save him from his attackers, the stab wounds were too much and 25-year-old Enterprise, East Coast Demerara businessman, Kumar Mohabir succumbed yesterday after he was attacked by about seven men during Mashramani celebrations on Saturday.
One of the men had reportedly accused Kumar called ‘Duxie’ and ‘Firelink’ of stepping on his toes and attacked him before at least six others joined in to batter him with broken beer bottles and a knife, relatives said. He died at the Woodlands Hospital at about 2:45 yesterday morning. No one has been arrested in connection with the murder.
The attack occurred on Vlissengen Road between Barr Street and Shell Road just after 7pm on Saturday. In a statement, the police said that investigations revealed that Kumar went to a bar to make a purchase where he became involved in an argument with a group of men, and during which he was stabbed about his body with broken bottles. His brother Navindra Mohabir, 30, went to his assistance and was also stabbed. The police said that they were taken to a private hospital where Navindra was treated and sent away, while Kumar later succumbed to his injuries.
At the home at 7 Fernandes Street, Enterprise yesterday, a grief-filled Navindra recounted that his brother had rented a tent to one of their neighbours and he usually helped to set up and dismantle it. Kumar was a wholesaler of various beverages and also rented chairs, tables and tents. He also drove a mini-bus.
Navindra said that sometime between 4:30pm and 5pm yesterday, he and Kumar returned to the city. With them were Navindra’s two children and their niece and they watched the floats for a while as they waited for the celebrations to wind down so that they could dismantle the tent. Navindra said that at about 7pm, they decided to walk back to the tent. At the tent some persons including the attackers were drinking and dancing and Kumar went to make a purchase when he was attacked.
Navindra said he was not sure what transpired and all he saw was the man swinging at his brother. “All what me see, the boy pelt one cuff and he (Kumar) fall down and the boy start lash he with beer bottle,” the wounded Navindra recounted. He said that about 7 or 8 men attacked his brother using broken beer bottles. “So when I see they lash he now I run…and when I run deh now, he de already unconscious on the ground because they lash he with bottle and I go over he head…and try to save him you know…and that is how come they start juk me and lash me in me head with bottle. So I go over him and cover him and they start attack me,” the emotional man recounted.
Persons who were around scattered in the melee as the attackers broke bottles and threw it around and Navindra said that as he tried to protect his younger brother, he began to shout and the attackers ran away. His fear-stricken children and niece, ages 6, 7 and 8, also ran.
Navindra sustained several stab wounds to his back and side as well as wounds to his head. Despite bleeding badly, he sought to help his brother and begged persons to help him lift him to the bus but no one responded as most had fled after the men threw bottles all over the area, he recounted. He said that eventually he got the assistance of two others and took the unconscious Kumar to a point where he could drive the bus to pick him up. The injured man then drove his brother to the Woodlands Hospital.
Kumar was treated and Navindra refused treatment as he wanted them to focus on his brother. Kumar underwent a CAT scan and a tube had to be inserted for him to breathe because one of the stabs had apparently penetrated his lungs, relatives said. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital where he succumbed at about 2:45am yesterday. He had sustained stab wounds to his left side, groin and also to the head. Doctors told them that apart from the broken bottles, a knife had also been used in the attack, relatives said. “They tried their best but they couldn’t save he,” one relative said.
Navindra recalled that the last words he exchanged with his brother was him asking for water and reassuring him that he would be fine and that he would go home soon. His mother, Nasmoon Mohabir also recounted that the last words her youngest exchanged with her was him asking for water. “He seh ‘mammy, mammy, mammy, gimme some water’,” she recounted saying that although his eyes was closed, he recognized her when she called to him. “But he had saline so me nah give he no water,” she said.
A grieving Nasmoon called for justice for her son. “They murder my child and I wouldn’t take it like this. I have to get justice for my child. My child is very quiet and my child don’t make trouble with nobody,” she said adding that he was supposed to get married in a couple months time. “They murder he, that you call cold-blooded murder,” she said. For his birthday last month, he gave hampers to all the senior citizens of the community she said. She said that he was the one who took care of her and her husband Annirud Mohabir.
“I gotta get justice for this, is dem you calling murderers and if dem don’t find dem people this and do something I don’t know wha gon happen later on. This thing gon continue like this,” she said.
