Inquest finds police liable

-justice finally served, says family

A jury yesterday found the Guyana Police Force culpable in the death of Ramesh Sawh, who was found hanging in the Enmore Police Station lockups in January 2008.

The Coroner’s Inquest, which wrapped up yesterday, had commenced before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court last year after Sawh’s death inside the lock-up triggered questions about what had happened.

Chief Justice (Ag) Ian Chang had ordered the inquest last July, following a High Court application by attorney Anil Nandlall on behalf of the family, requesting that an inquest be held into the circumstances under which Sawh met his death.

The verdict was accepted by Sawh’s relatives yesterday as “justice finally being served.” The dead man’s mother, Indrouttie Sawh, told Stabroek News that she had been discouraged from pursuing the matter because fighting the police force seemed like a hopeless battle. But she said she pressed forward for her son and mothers who have suffered a similar fate.

Sawh said that the family feels some amount of satisfaction knowing that a court has acknowledged that her son had not taken his own life as had been suggested. “Something came out of it and though we were fearful and unsure we feel that justice has been served now. Many people in similar situations got no justice, we did,” she said.

Ramesh Sawh was found hanging by his jersey in a cell at the Enmore lock-ups on January 17, 2008. He was alone in the cell at the time.

One policeman was transferred from the station shortly after; even though the police denied that they were responsible for the death.

Sawh was being held at the outpost after a resident made an allegation that he had stolen a car battery. His relatives later said that it was unimaginable that he would kill himself over a simple larceny report.

They said he had left his Logwood home, to seek employment at the Enmore Sugar Estate.

They had also stated that the young man had never displayed any suicidal tendency and called for a full investigation into the matter since they suspected that foul play was involved.

Police said in a press release hours after he died that they were investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. The release said that Sawh was arrested following a larceny report and was taken to the outpost around 11.40 am.

When officers checked on Sawh, who was alone in his cell, he was found hanging by his jersey, which had been stripped to make a rope and tied to the metal ventilation grill in the lock-ups.

In a subsequent release, the force denied the family’s claim that he died from a beating while in custody. A release said that an investigation found no evidence to substantiate the family’s claim and this was supported by the post-mortem examination, conducted by Dr Nehaul Singh. The cause of death was given as asphyxiation due to compression of the neck due to hanging.

Nandlall, who was 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.

Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, Cecil Kennard, had also reviewed the case and he had recommended that an inquest into the death be held.