A 42-year-old carpenter was yesterday morning murdered after he went to the rescue of some children who were attacked by a man who had become enraged after they threw water on him as part of their Phagwah merriment. The suspect is in custody.
Abdool Waheed Gani of 367, Enterprise and Good Hope both East Coast Demerara villages died at the Woodlands Hospital where he was taken shortly after he was stabbed in the abdomen.
The incident occurred a stone’s throw from the hospital located on Carmichael Street.
Police said in a press release that they are investigating the circumstances of the murder which occurred around 1145 hours. Investi-gations according to the police revealed that the suspect was walking along Carmichael Street when some children who were playing Phagwah threw water and abeer on him.
The suspect became annoyed and began to verbally abuse the children.
The police release added that Gani who was working on a house nearby rebuked the suspect for abusing the children, “whereupon the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed him to the chest”.
The suspect was later arrested and is assisting police with investigations.
A police official told this newspaper that the incident was most unfortunate and that the suspect could be charged as early as today. No mention has been made of the murder weapon being recovered.
According to the man’s brother, Gani was working as a carpenter on a building opposite the hospital when he observed that a man had pulled a knife on the children.
“He see he pull a knife and he and the next man wah been working on the building come to help the children and is stab he get stab and dead,” the brother said in tears.
According to eyewitnesses the children were throwing water on passers-by and some suggested that the water was muddy. Their actions did not go down well with the stabber and he confronted them and pulled the knife on them.
“But is lil children he ain’t had no right to do that and dem lil children see everything,” a woman told Stabroek News.
“Is peace de man going to make, you hear is peace and he dead now,” another woman said.
After committing the act the assailant attempted to escape but was pursued by irate bystanders who pulled him out of a trench and beat him before marching him to Police Headquarters, Eve Leary where he was taken into custody.
Zoreen Gani told this newspaper that her now deceased brother was always a peaceful person who never made problems with anyone. The devastated woman said he does whatever work he can find including carpentry and cane cutting.
She last saw him two weeks ago and “he was good. We gaff nice”. The woman said that she was shocked at the manner in which he died.
Gani has left to mourn three children and his wife along with other relatives.
