Magistrate Krishndat Persaud yesterday denied a 19-year-old cattle ranch labourer his pre-trial freedom when he appeared before him at the Springlands Court, charged with chopping another man to death.
It is alleged that around 11:30 pm on January 20, Ramesh ‘Toney’ Ramraj of No 65 Village murdered 39-year-old Rojin Basdeo of No 0 Village. He was not required to plead to the offence and was remanded to prison until February 22 for report.
In presenting the facts, Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Michael Grant told the court that the defendant reportedly armed himself with two cutlasses and chopped Basdeo while at the No 56 backdam.
According to Grant, Basdeo who was employed at another cattle ranch and the accused had a misunderstanding.
His sister, Padmini had told this newspaper that her brother was relaxing in a hammock when Ramraj approached with the two cutlasses and attacked him.
By the time she and other relatives got to the scene his body was lying motionless in the hammock. She said they wrapped the body in a sheet and took it to her home where he used to live.
They then summoned the police – who had earlier said no rank was available to visit the scene – to accompany them to take the body to the hospital and then the mortuary.
