Sham Harrinauth, who was arrested after allegedly threatening two of his children with a cutlass, was found hanging yesterday afternoon in city police outpost.
Harrinauth, 38, of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was in custody at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost, where it is suspected that he took his own life by hanging himself with a vest.
Police spokesman Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan told Stabroek News last evening that on the instruction of Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the hanging.
Another detainee, Tiffon Peters, also hanged himself at the same outpost in January this year. Peters, 22 years of 664 Avocado Place, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown was found hanging in the lockups by his shirt, which he fashioned into a noose.
‘A’ Division Commander Clifton Hicken told Stabroek News that at around 8 am yesterday, a report was received that Harrinauth, wielding a cutlass, had threatened to kill Vikesh Harrinauth, 14, and Shivanie Harrinauth, 18.
This behaviour was apparently a norm for the deceased, who, according to Hicken, was previously charged with a similar offence and placed on two years bond to keep the peace.
The dead man’s father, who did not want to be named, told Stabroek News that once his son was drunk, he would start quarrels and attack his children.
“Once he drunk, we children don’t really tell him anything ‘cause he’s a different man from when he sober,” the man’s younger daughter, Keisha, 16, said, while noting that he would regularly attack and threaten them once drunk.
The man’s mother, who also asked not to be named, also testified to the man’s abusive behaviour when drunk. However, the family members said they have never noticed Harrinauth attempting to harm himself, so they were shocked by news that he took his own life. “As far as I know, he never try to hurt heself before. He does just quarrel up when he drunk,” his father explained.
According to Hicken, once in custody Harrinauth requested at about 4.10 pm that his daughter be asked to bring him some food. “The food arrived around 5.04 pm and a few minutes later he was found hanging with a vest from his cell,” Hicken said.
