By Sara Bharrat
A 57-year-old fisherman of Conservancy, Canal No. 1, West Bank Demerara died yesterday morning shortly after he was hit in the chest with a piece of wood by a person living near to him.
Mehaboob Alli, called ‘Papo’, confronted the other person, known as ‘Cheeso’, about an incident that occurred on Monday night. An argument escalated between the two men and Alli was hit in the chest by a 1” by 3” piece of wood, Deewan ‘Ramesh’ Singh, another resident, related.
According to the late man’s son, Feroze, on Monday night he was going to his boss’s house, located in the same area, to collect a bicycle when he was attacked verbally and later physically by the man called `Cheeso’.
“He cuff me two time in de head and I jus lef it at that and went home,” Feroze related.
He said that yesterday morning his father left the house at about 7am to go set his fishing lines.
`Cheeso’ was out on the bridge, Feroze explained, and my father confronted him about the matter that occurred on Monday night. The man explained that his father and the man argued and `Cheeso’ hit his father in the chest.
According to Feroze, his father returned home and complained to them that he was “feeling bad”. “We put ice on he stomach and give he something cold to drink,” Feroze recalled, “then I left to go to work.
By de time I reach Wales estate they call me with the news,” he said.
“Ow meh husband meh husband been out deh…how dis boy [`Cheeso’] ah pick trouble,” Alli’s distressed widow said between sobs. Kahirool, 52, said that after her husband was hit by the man he returned home complaining for chest pain.
“We put ice on he chest and I give he some cold milk,” Kahirool told Stabroek News, “then he say he want to go to the hospital.”
The woman said that with the help of neighbours she took her husband to the hospital. She explained that just before they got there her husband said, “meh can’t make it no more, this pain too much…meh going home”.
She said, shaking her head repeatedly, that she tried to rub the spot but nothing eased his pain. Alli died shortly after he arrived at the hospital, Kahirool said.
Singh, the eyewitness, said that Alli was holding a paddle in his hand when he confronted’Cheeso’.
The man said that Alli asked `Cheeso’ about the Monday night incident and the man began to verbally abuse him.
“`Papo’ knock he one time with the paddle and tell he to stop cursing’,” Singh said, “that is when `Cheeso’ pick up de wood and hit de man in de chest.”
The man remembered. He further said that the confrontation between the two men lasted for 15 minutes.
`Cheeso’ has since been taken into police custody. A police press release last evening said that the police are awaiting the results from the post-mortem examination and investigations are continuing.
