Relatives of Lallbachan Bachan, the taxi driver who was found dead in the Suddie Police Station lockups days after he was arrested, are seeking answers regarding his death, as they claim there were marks of violence on his body.
Samantha Bachan, the dead man’s wife, told Stabroek News that when she saw her husband’s body at the parlour, there were marks of violence on his head, face, arms and feet, although the police are claiming there were none at the time of the discovery.
“…Something wasn’t right because he was the lone prisoner in the cell. Something fishy went on there. I can’t say because I wasn’t there but something wasn’t right because my husband can’t just be there in a cell and just dead,” Samantha said.
The police in a statement had said that Bachan, 39, of Lot 21 Maria’s Lodge, Essequibo Coast, was discovered dead in a cell at the Suddie Police Station, days after he was arrested for driving under the influence.
The discovery was made around 6:10 am.
At the time, the police said Bachan was the lone occupant of the cell. He was taken to the Suddie Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body bore no visible marks of violence, the statement noted.
The police said that an autopsy performed on his remains on Monday showed that he died as a result of a fractured larynx, which can be caused by a fall. However, the autopsy report seen by this newspaper listed Bachan’s cause of death as asphyxiation and a fractured larynx.
Samantha said the family is seeking answers from the relevant authorities, since they believe Bachan’s death was not a natural one.
“Whatever happened there to my husband is not of natural cause…What they are trying to say is that my husband fall and die and got his larynx fractured,” Samantha said.
She explained that the police reportedly even enquired from her if her husband was an epilepsy case.
“They ask me if my husband is an epilepsy. I said my husband don’t catch fits or nothing. They ask me if I am sure. I said yes I am sure. They asked if his father does catch fits. I said his father don’t catch fits neither. They just trying to put this thing over now like probably he was an epilepsy case, he fall and hit himself and that what happen,” Samantha said.
Bachan was arrested last Friday on two arrest
warrants for driving under the influence of alcohol. The woman explained that Bachan initially attended court on June 20 for the matter, and on this occasion, the case was postponed to June 28. However, Bachan did not turn up at court, resulting in the warrants being issued for him.
Samantha related that her husband was arrested shortly after he left home for work.
She further explained that throughout the weekend, his mother took meals for him and requested to see him but was not allowed to.
“When his mom gone now to take meals for him on Friday night, she ask the officer she want see she son. She just wanted to see him to make sure he was okay because he was in the lock up calling for ‘Mommy, mommy meh wan go docta. Me nah feel good, meh head ah hurt’. She requested to see him but they denied it,” Samantha said.
She added that on Saturday, Bachan’s mother returned to take three meals for him and asked again to see him but on each occasion, her request was denied. “They said, no he [mustn’t] come out. He gah bare he punishment. Let him suffer, that he okay, nothing nah wrong with he and suh,” Samantha recalled.
On Sunday, Samantha said she accompanied her mother-in-law to the police station and asked to see Bachan.
They were granted about five minutes and during this time, Bachan appeared normal and bore no injuries about his body.
“We saw him. He was in good condition. He didn’t had no bruise or no marks of violence on his body. That was on Sunday morning when we took breakfast for him,” Samantha said.
However, on the said afternoon, Samantha noted that when Bachan’s mother returned with dinner, she was not allowed to see him.
Samantha said she had to spend Sunday evening at her mother’s place since she was not well. “I know my husband was in police custody, it’s just that I wasn’t expecting things like this to happen,” she said.
The following day, she said as her mother-in-law was about to leave home for the police station, she was confronted by the police, who informed her of Bachan’s death.
“Soon as she was coming out her yard a police vehicle came up and the police officer said, ‘Ma’am, where yuh going? Yuh son dead’. Just like that. They didn’t come in to say, you know ma’am, we would like to have a word with you, please sit and things like that you know. In a nice calm way. And she start screaming, screaming. She a big woman. She’s a hypertensive case. You as a police officer, you should know the right,” Samantha related.
She said her children called her to inform her of Bachan’s death, at which time she learnt that his remains had already been taken to the parlour.
The grieving woman said that on Tuesday, a team of officers visited their home to offer condolences. She said she expressed her concerns about the matter and was assured that it will be investigated.
“I had to ask them, y’all ain’t doing nothing because I said I am not pleased with the way my husband die. They said that they are going to look into the matter and see more about it and them things that”, Samantha said.
Later the same day, Samantha said she and other family members, including her children, staged a minutes-long protest in front of the Suddie Police Station.
Some of the placards relatives carried read, “We need justice”, “Our father is murdered” and “Police must be held accountable for their actions”.
Whilst there, Samantha said she had an interaction with the Divisional Commander, who assured her that all aspects of the matter will be looked into.
“He told me that he will look into the matter. That they are investigating the matter in and out from our side and from the police side to see what really happen,” Samantha said.
It remains unclear if an internal probe has been launched by the police into Bachan’s death.
