A Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara man was fatally stabbed last evening following an argument with another relative over a family property.

Dead is 32-year-old Chaitram Gooroodyal, a porter of Lot 2 ‘E’ 11 Second Field, Cummings Lodge Squatting Area who was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital shortly after 8 pm.

According to a neighbour who witnessed the incident, he was standing in front of his yard around 7 pm last evening when he observed Gooroodyal and another relative arguing. He said the dead man appeared to be intoxicated and that he had seen him consuming alcohol most of the day yesterday. The man said Gooroodyal and his mother lived in one section of the family’s house, while his uncle lived in the front section of the house. He said the family had been fighting several months now over ownership of the property, since the dead man’s uncle wanted to sell it.

He said last evening Gooroodyal went into his uncle’s home and started to abuse the ailing man who had suffered a stroke several years ago. He said the two men argued loudly with each other, which was an everyday occurrence. However, last night they scuffled, following which, Gooroodyal left the house and approached the gate.

According to the eyewitness, as the man exited the gate, his uncle, who had a knife tucked in his waist, approached him and the two men then physically assaulted each other again. In the process, the uncle pulled out the knife from his waist and lounged at Goordoodyal, fatally wounding the man in the region of his heart.

The eyewitness related that neighbours then ran towards the injured man to assist him and after staggering several feet away from the scene of the stabbing, Gooroodyal collapsed close to a pile of sand on the road. The man was taken to the public hospital shortly after where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Neighbours told Stabroek News that after he stabbed Gooroodyal, the uncle went back into his house and was followed by Gooroodyal’s sister and mother, who broke most of the windows in the house as they soundly trashed him.

The dead man’s sister, Savitri, told Stabroek News at the family’s home last evening that her brother’s death was the culmination of what had been an age-old family dispute. She said her brother and their uncle would argue and “cuss up” almost everyday since her uncle wanted to sell the house but her mother had objected to this move.

She said her brother would often intervene in the matter and he met his demise because of this. The woman said the house was divided into two sections. Her mother lived at the back section of the building which was given to them by another relative who died several years ago.

She said that her uncle lived in the front section of the building by himself.

Savitri recounted that earlier in the day yesterday her brother was verbally abusing the family and this resulted in her reporting his behaviour to ranks at the Turkeyen Police station. She said that officers there took her brother to the police station, but he was released some time yesterday afternoon and continued to verbally assault family members.

The woman said she had gone to the police station last evening to file another report about her brother’s abusive behaviour and it was while she was on her way back to her mother’s place of abode, that she observed a crowd around her brother whose lifeless body lay on the roadside.

The uncle was arrested at Cummings Lodge last night by the police.