Still no progress in murder probe
One of the policemen, who set up the Middleton Street roadblock on May 14 when Arjune Narine Singh was shot dead, was the subject of disciplinary action for failing to report that he was going out on duty that night.
Four months have elapsed since the incident but investigations remain at a standstill even as the 21-year-old’s relatives continue to press the police to bring the perpetrators to justice.
A senior police officer told Stabroek News recently that the investigation into the incident was two-fold: the murder itself and the allegations made against the police.
He said that while nothing new has come out of the murder investigation, the police were advised that the ranks who were at the checkpoint be warned. He said that one of the ranks was subjected to disciplinary action because he did not report that he was going out on duty that night. It is unclear how the rank was disciplined. Concern had been voiced in the public that the roadblock did not seem to be an authorized operation but one that had other motives. The conduct of the policemen after the shooting was also severely criticized. One fled to the Kitty police station and the other jumped into the trench.
The officer told this newspaper that there have been no leads in the case so far.
Meanwhile in a letter to this newspaper last week, the man’s father, Narine Singh said that the police continue to keep the family in the dark about what they have gathered so far.
According to the elder Singh there have been no updates from the police on whether there was a motive for the shooting or whether any suspects have been identified.
He recalled that back in mid May, he met with Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee and pleaded for whatever assistance the government could give to bring justice to the family for the loss of his only son.
“We need to remind the government that they are the ones responsible for protecting innocent citizens. What is the government doing to ensure that procedures are put in place for investigating and solving criminal activities in the country? Is there an internal investigation with regards to the police officers involved in setting up the roadblock? Well it does not appear so”, the man stressed.
Singh revealed that on the night of the killing, his son was carrying a cell phone and it was with the police at the crime scene but the force suddenly revealed that it was missing after he began making inquiries.
He said that it is the Force’s obligation to report on this matter and provide updates and he called on Commissioner of Police (ag) Henry Greene to investigate the two police officers who set up this checkpoint.
“These officers should be held accountable and give the reason why a roadblock was set up at Middleton Street without proper authorization. This has caused the death of an innocent citizen. Why did this have to be the way that the police set up checkpoints? We are calling on the opposition parties and leaders of Guyana to give us justice”, Singh said.
In the letter, the man stressed that the whole episode is frustrating and is putting a lot of stress on he and his family especially with them not knowing what is going on with the investigation, if there is any at all.
“Our distress and grief is more than we can bear; it is an added burden to carry around, wondering and hoping to hear some feedback from the authorities. Our hopes and prayers are that our son’s death would not just go unsolved”, he said adding that the family is looking for closure so that their pain can ease, knowing what happened on that fateful night.
He described his son as a young, intelligent and caring person whose life was snatched away from him and pointed out that “No one deserves to die the way he died. He had a bright future in front of him”.
He called on all Guyanese to come together to help fight crime in the country.
On May 14 at around 9.30 pm on a narrow, poorly lit Middleton Street two police ranks; one in uniform and the other in plainclothes chose to stop a car and check documents belonging to its occupants thus creating a traffic block due to the manner in which the uniformed rank was positioned. This resulted in a backup of two vehicles — Arjune’s and Larry Gursahai who was behind Arjune.
Within a few minutes of them being stalled on the road, a car pulled up alongside the checkpoint, a gunman disembarked and a fusillade erupted. Arjune was fatally wounded and Gursahai also sustained injuries. The uniformed rank fled the scene in the injured Gursahai’s vehicle stopping for the man to exit after Gursahai refused to drive to the Kitty police station. The other rank jumped into a nearby ditch and later emerged to call for backup.
Arjune’s family had previously rejected assertions that he was executed and call for an intensive police probe while pointing out that they were being kept in the dark.
A relative had told Stabroek News that the family has repeatedly pressed the Force to find out who were the policemen at the checkpoint that night and what exactly they did before and after Singh was shot but got no answers. The relative expressed hope that things will come to light in time.