Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday committed Balram Singh to be tried in the High Court for the murder of taxi driver Bomeshwar Sukhdeo, while the case against his co-accused, Bharrat Narine, was discharged.
The Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday heard that a prima-facie case of murder had been made out against Singh, who told the court that he was innocent and that he would reserve his statement for the High Court. At the same time, a freed Narine wept for joy and thanked the court for the favourable ruling.
On the other hand, Sukhdeo’s relatives were not pleased with the court’s ruling. One distressed relative said, “He [Narine] is free now. He going to his family but my children are without a father.”
Singh, a tax driver of Agricola, and Narine, a taxi service owner, of 303 Grove Housing Scheme, were not required to plead to the charge,
which alleged that between January 19 and January 27, 2010, they murdered Sukhdeo at Mocha, East Bank Demerara.
Following his disappearance, police found Sukhdeo’s car in Herstelling. Singh was arrested during investigations and he later allegedly confessed and implicated Narine, the prosecutor had told the court when the charge against the men were initially said. Hours later, police found Sukhdeo’s burnt remains at Mocha. Government pathologist Nehaul Singh had said that based on the presence of maggots, the body could not have been there for more than a day; however, due to the state of it he could not determine how the man had died.
The prosecutor also told the court that Singh concluded that the body was that of an East Indian male, not more that 25 years of age and based on measurements was five feet ten inches tall. This description almost matches that of Sukhdeo.
