A rice farmer, who allegedly assaulted a police officer, found himself before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Anna Regina Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to answer that charge.
The police alleged that on March 1 at Maria’s Lodge, Essequibo Coast, 37-year-old Hemwant Dhanpaul assaulted a police officer who was carrying out his duties at Dhanpaul’s home. The police had been called to the home to investigate an alleged altercation between Dhanpaul and his mother.
Dhanpaul pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Attorney Hemraj Rajkumar, who represented Dhanpaul, told the court that his client was the victim. He claimed that it was the policeman who hit his client with a baton and then refused to allow him to seek medical attention.
In his application for bail, Rajkumar said that his client is a rice farmer, is not a flight risk and will attend trial.
There was no objection to bail by Police Prosecutor Khrisnadatt Ramana and the magistrate set it in the sum of $15,000.
The matter was adjourned to March 20, when it will come up at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court.
