Family may move to court for inquest
As the relatives of Ramesh Sawh who was found hanging in the Enmore Police Station lock-ups in January continue to call for justice, their attorney Anil Nandlall says that he may move to the High Court since he has received no further word from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on whether an inquest will be held.
Nandlall told Stabroek News yesterday that he may consider filing an Order of Mandamus asking a High Court judge to compel the DPP or the magistrate presiding in the area where the “unlawful/unnatural death” occurred, to hold an inquest in relation to the incident.
Meanwhile, contacted yesterday, Sawh’s parents Tejram and Indrouttie voiced their frustration over their inability to gain an audience with the relevant authorities to discuss the matter.
The couple and their relatives are still not accepting the police’s finding of suicide and remain adamant that foul play was involved.
They said yesterday that they will not give up their fight for justice for their son and may probably have to try a different approach.
“We want an inquest to be held so that we can satisfy our minds… I know my son didn’t hang himself”, Indrouttie said.
Sawh called `Kenny’ of Logwood, Enmore, East Coast Demerara was found hanging by his jersey in his cell, by a rank who had gone to check on his. He was rushed to the Georgetown Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Following the incident, his relatives called for justice to be served and for those in authority to act swiftly to find whoever was responsible for the death. They said that they could not accept the police’s explanation because there was nothing in the cell to facilitate a hanging. Besides this, they said, Sawh never displayed any suicidal tendencies and they found it hard to believe that he would kill himself because he was accused of stealing a car battery from a resident. They said too that the state his body was in was not consistent with suicide. There were no marks around his neck where the jersey was and his tongue was not out of his mouth, they said.
Family members had told this newspaper that Sawh had been a target for the police whenever there were petty crimes in the area and they said that whenever he was held, ranks would put a black bag over his head before trying to beat a confession out of him.
Nandlall, who is watching over the family’s interest in the matter, had written to the Police Commissioner (ag) Henry Greene and Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack and received their replies several weeks ago.
He had told this newspaper that they both said that the matter was pending investigation and whether an inquest would be held was being considered.
Since the incident at least one of the ranks who was in the outpost at the time has been transferred.
